Bechloe One-Shots
by amyy94
Summary: Basically a place for short stories and one-shots that aren't long enough to be stand-alone's. Prompts welcome.
1. 1 - Chemistry

**Chemistry**

Beca never wanted to be a teacher, it just sort of, happened. One minute she was attending college to please her Dad and the next she was graduating with a teaching degree with no intention of using it.

Turns out getting a gig as a music producer in Los Angeles is rough; all the rejection, hard work and her financial struggles finally managed to take its toll. Eventually Beca deciding to take a short break from it all and come back home – that was six years ago.

When she moved back to her home town it was difficult to swallow her pride, unable to shake the feeling that everyone was chanting "told you so" under their breath when she was at the store or in the diner. Moving back in with her Dad at twenty-seven probably didn't help her feel any better either, prolonging her wallowing period.

Beca slumped over her desk, blowing the air from her cheeks. Her chin rested comfortably on her forearm as she scribbled some notes on one of the papers she was marking. Chemistry was never her favourite subject when she was in school, but it had always been her strongest; whether Beca liked it or not.

So once she spotted the ad for a Chemistry teacher at the local middle school, Beca applied with the intention of it being temporary until she earned enough money to retry her luck in the music business back in LA – that was five and a half years ago.

The brunette pushed the papers away from her at the sound of the school bell, sitting up straight and stretching out her back. She had another free period before her next class, so she decided to grab something to eat at the cafeteria.

On her way down the busy hallway, Beca was met with a couple of smiles and nods from teachers and the occasional "Hi, Miss Mitchell" from some of the students, but she continued her walk on auto-pilot, not really registering the faces or the voices but replying anyway. The quick shuffle of feet and bustling of students in the hall cleared, all disappearing into their scheduled classes, until Beca was the only one still walking around. She let a small smile settle on her face, just glad of the silence.

One last right turn and she was in the cafeteria; the smell of food taking over the teacher's senses and reminding her she hadn't eaten for six hours. The smell of Doris's signature apple pie made her feet unconsciously move that little bit quicker around the corner, her mind worrying if there was any left.

Beca kind of registered the person walking in the opposite direction of the same corner, but with the food and the hour she endured marking papers, she continued striding forward, colliding with the body she was sure she should have recognised. An elbow was jabbed in her rib, books dropping on her foot and the word "shit" tumbling from her lips.

 _And of course it would be her._

The one person in the entire school that caused her to turn into one of the shy and fumbling students she teaches on a regular basis. Beca wasn't sure what it was about Miss Beale, but the way her palms grew sweaty and her throat turned dry the moment she saw her was a real pain in the ass. Their interactions were always short, the nervous woman rushing off to just die of embarrassment in her classroom instead of out on the hall.

Beca will always remember the first time she met Miss "call me Chloe" Beale in this very hallway last year. If Beca was being honest, she stopped dead in her tracks, gawking at the other woman who was walking with Mr Howard; the grumpy math teacher; deep in conversation, talking animatedly and Beca could have sworn she saw the flicker of a smile on the older man's lip, which was basically unheard of.

If anyone asked Beca, she would say Chloe's smile could light up a dark village and her eyes could hold the attention of every person in the crowded cafeteria Beca was stood in at the time. The way Chloe's laugh sounded like music or how the tightly fitted top she was wearing really complimented her –

A voice silenced her thoughts, "I'm so sorry!"

Beca was sure she was blushing right now, and not just because she had accidentally head butted the school's music teacher. As predicted and right on schedule, the words caught in the back of her throat and her rapid heartbeat echoed in her ears.

"It's okight."

The woman in front of her shot her a confused look, before giving her a small smile. Beca instinctively shook her head, an almost manic laugh escaping her lips.

"I mean, um, no problem. I started to say OK, but then started saying right half way through. I meant no problem..."

 _Fuck's sake._

Beca internally cringed at herself, before gathering the items off the ground in an attempt to distract her.

"Here" she said quickly, handing the now laughing redhead her books back.

"I got to go, I hate waiting in line with the kids" she laughed awkwardly pointing to the door of the lunch hall in front of her.

"But they're all in class?" Chloe smiled.

"Yeah, I know, that was just a joke" she sniggered, "I got to-"

"Go, yeah, you said. You should swing by the music department sometime – that way you can't rush off all the time..."

Chloe's smile was playful, but kind. Sweet, but sexy and maybe suggestive...

 _Nah, of course it wasn't._

"Okight."

Why couldn't she just act like a fully functioning human being around this woman, _just once_?

"Okight" Chloe repeated with a knowing smile before turning on her heels and walking away, "Bye, Beca" she shouted over a shoulder, her voice echoing down the corridor and long after inside Beca's head.

"Shit", she quietly muttered to herself, as she watched the redhead walk away.

 **XXX**

It had been two weeks since Beca had seen Miss Beale and it turns out avoiding someone for that long in the school building was a lot more difficult than she had first imagined. She started eating lunch in her classroom, then bailing on weekly assemblies, to ducking behind kids in the corridor in order to stay out of sight – OK; she knows it's ridiculous, but their last encounter was by far the most awkward. Even worse than the time she walked into her closed classroom door upon saying goodbye the first time they met...

But Beca isn't sure why this time feels different. There is a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that refuses to settle and a constant notion that she's missing out on something, but what, she's not sure. It doesn't help that she has been replaying Chloe's words on repeat from the moment she walked away.

"You should swing by the music department sometime."

They had Beca feeling butterflies in her stomach as well as a crushing wave of anxiety at the sheer thought of embarrassing herself further. Maybe it was the way they were said; playful, but genuine, with a hint of something else. A tone that said "Come on, I dare you..."

But she thinks she's reading too much into, after all, she has been thinking about them non-stop for several days – yeah, she's over thinking them.

What posses the chemistry teacher to wander down the foreign hallway of the music department on her free period a few days later is unknown, but there she was, running her fingers in a line across the white washed walls, cautiously peering into classroom windows. Beca really tried to look natural and in different, but the moment she caught a glimpse of the redhead sat leaning over a desk in an empty room to her right, she couldn't help but comically step back, throwing her weight against the wall, praying to any higher power that she wasn't spotted.

 _God, I'm a mess..._

She quickly ran her fingers through her hair and wiped the barley there creases out of her shirt before taking a deep breath. A slow chant of _be cool, be cool_ filled her mind, as she tried to take a step forward, but it was like her feet were refusing to move. Not only could this woman turn her into a blubbering mess, making her forget all the words in her head, but it seems now she also has the power to render her temporarily paralysed.

Beca wanted to turn the corner, no, like Beca really wanted to just waltz in the classroom, shut the door behind her, say something sexy and mysterious, and then just take Chloe on the desk there and then, but the fear of repeating "Okight" or walking into a door was too much – so she was about to turn around and make her way back to her classroom unnoticed when a flash of red and blue became a blur and there was a rather hard force hitting her forehead.

"Ah, shit."

The unexpected impact caused her to squeeze her eyes shut and when she opened them, there she was, mirroring Beca's action.

"Are you OK?" Chloe hurriedly asked, placing a hand on Beca's shoulder.

"I'm okight."

Chloe let out a chuckle, before mumbling something about de-ja-vu. Beca honestly wasn't making a joke; she had just managed to repeat the one (non)word she was willing herself not to say, but it made Chloe laugh, so she didn't really mind.

The hand was still on her shoulder and Beca did her best to try not to think about it and prevent the urge to shrug it off.

"It seems we should probably create some sort of code for when we're both turning corners in this building" Chloe said, finally retracting her hand and taking a slight step back from the close proximity she had been standing in.

"Yeah, you shout 'high', I'll shout 'low'..."

Beca awkwardly laughed, racking her mind for an excuse to leave, or better yet, think of a reason for her unusual presence in Chloe's department if she was to ask.

"So, what brings you to music?"

 _Damn, too late..._

"Just you."

If Beca ever wanted the world to just open up and swallow her whole, she had never wished it would happen more than she did in that moment. She found her mouth moving without warning and she had no idea what words were about to come out.

"The other week you said swing by, so here I am. More like bumping by, seen as that just happened. But bumping isn't a thing, so I guess I'm just walking by rather than swinging by, you know?" she stuttered the words to begin with, but eventually they just kept coming, flowing out of her mouth, showing no signs of stopping.

"But, I wasn't like stalking you or anything, I just thought a spare ten minutes and it's been a while since I've visited the department, so here I am..." she trailed off, shrugging her shoulders

Chloe finally weighed in, smiling brightly at the woman in front of her, "Well, do you want to maybe walk into my classroom? You know, finally have a proper conversation, instead of bumping into each other or you running away?" she questioned cheekily, a slight wriggle of her eyebrows.

Beca was unsure what to say, she didn't think she had made the whole avoiding thing that obvious. If she was in her right mind, she probably would have realised Chloe had said the same thing two weeks ago, but she wasn't, so she froze.

"I don't run..." she mumbled half-heartedly, not daring to make eye contact with her fellow colleague in front of her. Before she had a chance to register what was happening, a hand was wrapping around her wrist and a force pulling her into the room she was unable to walk into a couple of minutes ago.

"C'mon, I've got some candy bars in my draw."

 **XXX**


	2. 2 - The Walk Home

**The Walk Home**

"I can totally walk on my own, Becs."

Chloe's words were slurred, the taste of vodka swimming in her mouth, a march that was equally unsteady and off balance.

"Chloe, I'm walking you back – no discussion."

The comfortable warmth of Beca's arm wrapped around her waist radiated her body, as she attempted to pout at the shorter woman currently holding her up.

"I think maybe next time you should lay off Fat Amy's punch. That stuff is lethal..."

They had been invited to a party at the empty pool where Beca attended her first hood night for the Bella's and things had taken a drunk turn quite quickly for everyone; other than Beca, who didn't really want to be there in the first place.

Chloe had managed to change her mind without too much persuasion and had excitedly clapped her hands together, a bright smile on her face, proceeding to ask Beca what to wear.

Two hours later, and a whole lot of alcohol infused punch later, Chloe was uncoordinated and falling asleep on Beca's shoulder whilst they sat with their legs draped over the edge of the pool talking with Stacie and Jessica. Nobody was surprised when the DJ offered to take her home, earning a few smug grins, whilst Fat Amy hollered sexual innuendos as they left.

Once they were inside the Bella house, Chloe clumsily dropped the heels from her hands by the front door and collapsed on the bottom step of the stairwell with a gurgled laugh.

"Beca, my feet hurt and I'm hungry" she whined, holding her chin up on her hands.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't worn those ridiculous shoes..." she deadpanned, holding her hands out to pull the redhead to her feet.

The sudden movement and Chloe's poor balance caused her to crash straight into the shorter woman, making Beca stagger back into the front door, Chloe leaning against her. Hands had found their way to rest on a pair of shoulders and a waist, a moment of silence, as Beca searched Chloe's eyes.

The almost compromising position was changed, as soon as the older woman let out an amused "oops" and sauntered off up the stairwell, clinging to the hand rail in a rather comical manner.

Chloe isn't sure why she started unzipping her dress when she was on the landing, maybe she was hot or just too drunk to wait to undress in her bedroom, but she found herself stepping out of her clothing and walking the remainder of the journey in her underwear.

She could hear Beca's hurried footsteps on the steps behind her, shouting something about being careful, before the redhead carelessly pulled at the door handle to her room, unable to open it. She turned slightly to see a flustered Beca frantically picking up her dress and attempting to cover her with it.

"Dude, why are you almost naked right now?"

Chloe giggled, before pressing her back against the door, "C'mon, Becs, it's not like it's nothing you haven't seen before" she mumbled, flashing a knowing smile. Suddenly her eyes were feeling heavy and all she wanted to do was lie down. She felt her body tip ever so slightly to the side and begin to slide down the door.

"Woah, Chloe, come on, sit up. It's time to get you in bed I think"

The DJ's firm hand on her shoulder suddenly moved and Chloe shivered at the lack of contact. The hand was then under her arm and the other gently rested on a hip, before Beca hoisted her up and pushed the door open with her foot.

Chloe's mind finally processed what had just been said, as she let out a groggy and delayed reply, her eyes still shut.

"At least take me out on a date first."

She felt the laugh vibrating through Beca's body, revelling in the feeling of closeness to the other woman, Chloe let her head flop onto her shoulder, until she was not so gently pushed onto her mattress.

"So you like it rough?" she joked, the words getting trapped in her duvet. As she turned around with a lazy smile on her face; the feeling of the comfy bed on her skin making her even more sleepy; Beca was leaning over her, pulling at the sheets from underneath Chloe's body.

"Chlo, can you please just help me out a tiny bit?" she complained, tugging even harder at the bedspread. Although Chloe could tell by the way Beca's eyes were narrowing and the heavy sigh that ghosted over her neck she was growing more annoyed, but the faint outline of a smile was on her lips, and it was then the redhead couldn't help but wrap her arms around her neck and bring her face closer to hers.

"Stay" she whispered, pulling Beca on top of her and holding her in a tight hug. Beca giggled, actually _giggled_ , into Chloe's shoulder trying to free the arms trapped by her sides.

"Dude?"

Chloe ignored her protests, placing a wet kiss to the shorter woman's temple and letting out a content sigh.

"Dude, I can't breathe. I need to breathe!" she yelled, until Chloe finally loosened her grip and allowed Beca to roll onto the opposite side of the bed.

She swiftly pulled the duvet from underneath her body, bringing her knees up to her chin and wrapping herself in the softness of her sheets, boldly throwing them over Beca too.

"Sleep in here tonight?" she asked sleepily, curling into the other woman's side, lifting her knee up to rest on Beca's waist.

She felt the brunette let out a deep sigh, before readjusting the bedspread.

"OK, but you have to promise me not to vomit?" she questioned, her voice stern.

"Promise..."

Beca smiled before kissing the top of Chloe's head; which was a weird thing to do, but in that moment she just couldn't resist the urge to do it. She tried her best to ignore the hum of approval and the grip that tightened around her, pulling her even closer to the almost sleeping woman next to her.

"I love you, Becs"

"Yeah, you too, night..."

A few minutes of silence overtook them, before Chloe was sitting up, resting her head on her hand, facing the hyperaware DJ beside her.

"Do you need a glass of-"

Before she could finish her sentence, soft lips were on hers and a hand was cupping her check, the pad of Chloe's thumb rubbing soft circles on her jaw. Beca couldn't help but kiss her back, because she had wanted this for so long, but she never thought Chloe felt the same.

Eventually they both parted, although Chloe kept her forehand pressed against hers, staring into her eyes, and Beca could swear they were the widest and clearest they had been all night - the signs of drunk Chloe from a couple of minutes ago lost without a trace.

Beca tried to say something, but the ability to form words had long disappeared and she just stayed painfully still, completely unsure of what to do.

Then Chloe was placing one last kiss to her lips, before nestling her head back into the crook of Beca's neck.

"Night."

 **XXX**

 **A/N 1 – So, I'm going off grid for a while within the next two weeks and I thought why not set myself a challenge; How many one shots can I write before I leave the country for a little while?**

 **I've got a couple more ideas bouncing around in my head, so I'll probably be updating often, but as I lack imaginative ideas I thought I'd also take some prompts? So if you have an idea, leave a review or PM me and I'll see what I can do. – If nobody does, let's just pretend I never said that, yeah? ...**

 **A/N 2 – After my last story being a bit angsty I decided to (hopefully) cheer things up a little bit. I'm sure this will now be the place all my one-shots live, so consider this my parting gift for the next couple of months.**


	3. 3 - Tag, you're it

" **Tag, you're it."**

Chloe has no idea how her day of shopping for furniture turned into chasing a child around the department store in order to find his parents. She took a step back from the king size bed, head tilted, whilst trying to envision it in the bedroom currently under construction in her new apartment. A quick check of the measurements and a quiet wince at the price and suddenly something was pulling at the fabric of her shirt.

A boy, no older than eight with brown hair and a thick pair of glasses was stood before her, a wide and overjoyed smile on his face. He tapped her waist, before jetting off down one of the aisles shouting a very loud and excited, "Tag, you're it."

Chloe remained where she was, confused and unsure. She scanned as far as she could see for any signs of the child's owners before she felt the need to finally be the responsible adult her Mother had warned her she'd have to become...

So, she lightly jogged to the bedding aisle the boy had disappeared down and hoped she would find his parent's debating over a bedspread – she was wrong. Upon turning the corner, Chloe was met with a pile of stray display pillows laying haphazardly on the ground, and the child peeping at her behind the end of the shelf stand.

"Hey there" she said calmly, walking slowly in an attempt not to spook him. The boy giggled, as he smiled the same smile at her, shouting something about giving in.

"What?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow, gradually closing the distance between them.

"I said do you give in? If you do, you need to tell me I am the tag master and you're just too slow."

He grinned, smugly, finally stepping out of hiding from the display shelf and awaiting a reply. Suddenly, growing impatient, the child folded his arms over his chest, with eyebrows reaching his hairline, giving a slight bob of his head.

"Well...?"

Chloe smiled, before shaking her head good naturedly, a dramatic tone to her voice.

"Yeah, you're right, Mr Tag Master, you are so fast that I couldn't possibly keep up with you..."

The boy threw his head back laughing, as Chloe was finally standing in front of him.

"So, what's your name?" she questioned, bending on her knees in order to match his level.

"Dylan."

"That's a cool name. So, where is your Mom and Dad, Dylan?"

"At home. Hey do you want to see something cool?"

Before Chloe could respond Dylan was around the corner and sprinting down the back wall of the store. She paused for a second, processing what had just been said.

 _His parents are at home? How'd the hell did he get here then?!_

Before she could answer her own question, the boy was gradually disappearing out of sight. This was the second time she was chasing after a small kid – god, she hopes no one is watching this and getting the wrong idea...

Eventually she matched his speed and Dylan abruptly stopped at the lighting department. It was a secluded area, made into a corridor with all the different light fittings dangling down, each one a different brightness or colour. She slowly walked through behind the amazed little boy, carefully weaving in and out of the lower hanging shades and keeping a close eye on the runaway ahead.

"Isn't it cool?" he asked excitedly, jumping up and down whilst searching Chloe's face for approval.

"Yeah, it's super awesome!" she said mirroring his smile. It was actually pretty cute how this little kid was so enthusiastic about light fittings in a store – she remembers the same feeling on family vacations when looking for shells on the beach with her Dad; the pure joy and curiosity filling her insides when they found one hidden deep in the sand.

Chloe shook her thoughts away, watching as the boy sat down in a corner, leaning against a box, his legs crossed underneath him.

"So, who drove you here today then, Dylan?"

"BecBec" he replied simply, as Chloe joined him on the floor.

"Who's BecBec?" she asked, trying to get as much information as possible without him running off again.

"Momma's friend; she said I can call her BecBec if she can call me Shitface when Momma isn't around..."

"Oh" Chloe replied nodding her head slowly, noting the proud look on the child's face, like being called Shitface was the biggest compliment he'd ever received.

"...So, where is BecBec then?"

Before he could respond, a woman was rushing up the same path they had just walked down, her breath heavy and her arms raised level with her shoulders.

"Jesus, kid, where the hell have you been?!" she demanded, looking at the rather guilty looking boy beside her.

"I didn't want to wait in line anymore..." he spoke quietly, eyes cast to the floor.

"Yeah, well lining up to buy your Mom a replacement for the door we broke wasn't what I wanted to do either" she replied sarcastically, not bothering to address Chloe; a stranger sat next to a child in a dimly lit make shift corridor – because, no, that couldn't be taken out of context at all...

"You were the one that broke the door, and I'll tell Momma that too"

"No, Shitface, you won't, because we're going to get ice cream and then fix the door before she gets back, like we agreed?"

"As long as it's strawberry and vanilla?"

"Yep, whatever damn flavour you want..." she trailed off, before finally making eye contact with a now shifty looking Chloe. "Hey, you're not a pervert or anything, right?"

"Who me? God, no! I was just minding my own business when he tagged me and ran off further into the store, unattended and alone. I swear I was just trying to help him find h-"

"Save it, Red. I was just kidding" she smirked, "but thanks for helping, I'm Beca" she offered out her hand with a more genuine smile, before surprisingly pulling Chloe up as soon as their hands were pressed together.

"Chloe" she smiled, "and no problem, kids will be kids."

Beca stepped back a little, causing Chloe to realise she still hand hold of the smaller woman's hand. Once she let go, Beca and Dylan were making their way out from under the light fittings, Beca mumbling something about kids hold adults hands from now on.

She let out a chuckle, following behind them, until they both turned around to bid their goodbyes. Chloe couldn't help but notice the beauty of the other woman now they were stood in the light – OK, fine, Chloe thought she was hot the minute she marched down the corridor – but now in the actual light, Chloe couldn't help but notice her stormy blue eyes holding her gaze, making her forget that she was previously drawn to the ear piercings and sexy tattoos. Somehow, they both had a look of gentleness and detachment in the same stare. It wasn't until they slowly widened, bringing Chloe out of her daze and back into the moment.

"I said thanks for staying with him" she said a little too loudly.

"Yeah, no sweat – apart from making me run the perimeter of the store, he was great..." she said, a nervous laugh escaping.

 _Wait, nervous?_

Now that she thinks about, this woman does kind of make her nervous; which is weird because Chloe never feels nervous, with, like, anyone. l

"Well you look like you keep in good shape, so I don't think it would have fazed you too much."

Suddenly the brunette was looking a little flustered and Chloe spotted a slight roll of her eyes. Her last sentence sounded like a compliment, but judging by her reaction, it wasn't supposed to be, or was it?

Chloe felt the tables turn, and the odds in her favour, because now Beca was the one looking nervous.

"I look like I keep in good shape? What makes you say that?"

And Chloe just can't help it; she's a shameless flirt; always has, always will. The wink was probably overdoing it, but seeing the once confident woman in front of her turn into a stuttering mess was priceless.

"I-no-well, you."

She stopped, before sucking in a deep breath.

"So, do you like ice cream?" she asked, uncertain, scrunching up her face, shuffling her weight from one foot to the other nervously.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do" Chloe replied with a knowing smile.

"So, do you maybe want to, like, go, for ice cream, right now, with us?"

"OK" she answered simply, completely aware of the wide grin taking over her face.

"But do I really look like I keep in shape?" she asked partly joking, and partly curious.

Beca's eyes suggestively roamed her figure, before smirking a confident "Hell yeah" and leading them out into the parking lot.

 **XXX**


	4. 4 - New York, Same Love

**New York, Same Love**

Beca was suddenly putting one foot in front of the other at a speed she wasn't use, sprinting down the sidewalk. After less than a couple minutes she could feel her chest heaving, unable to take the needed amount of air into her lungs to actually breathe.

But she didn't stop. No, nothing was stopping Beca Mitchell tonight, because she had a real urgency to get back home and tell the woman camped out on the sofa something extremely important. If her feet could move any faster they would, and if Beca had actually stuck to the cardio workouts she tried when she was younger, she would probably be able to move them quicker...

Why didn't she just hail a cab? Running almost twelve blocks seemed really crucial and significant the moment she had set off – boy, was she feeling regretful.

Finally, she made it to her apartment building. Beca wishes she could have pulled the heavy door open with a strong force and continue to race up the three flights of stairs, but in reality she just collapsed in the hallway, whilst waiting for the elevator. Once the doors were opening, she decided she would just keep this between her and the lift if she ever told the story at a dinner party or something in years to come.

Her breath was slowly starting to even out and Beca felt less like she was having a stroke paired with a severe asthma attack.

 **XXX**

" _No, you go, I'll just stay in" Chloe sniffled, flicking through the channels on the television._

" _I'm not leaving you when you're sick, Chlo."_

 _As if on cue, the redhead sneezed loudly into a tissue._

" _Beca, it's just a cold – honestly I'll be fine. GO. At least one of us can have fun on a Friday night."_

 _She smiled at the woman pacing in front of her. Chloe knew Beca wanted to go to the party, after all it was her best friend's Birthday, and the way she was chewing her bottom lip was the only evidence Chloe needed to know she had already decided she was going to go._

 _She stopped abruptly, smack bang in the centre of the Keeping up with the Kardashians episode Chloe was actually trying to watch..._

" _OK, I'll go, but just so you know everyone is going to be super disappointed when I walk in without you..."_

 _She leaned down to place a kiss on her temple and suddenly Chloe couldn't even think about her show anymore._

" _I'm sure they'll get over it" she laughed softly. Beca was about to say something, before the older woman cut her off, "Yeah, I know if I feel any worse I'll call, OK?"_

 _Beca simply laughed in response, before nodding her head._

" _Alright, I promise when I come home drunk not to wake you..." she joked, picking up her phone from the couch cushion next to her girlfriend._

 _She made her way to the door, with Chloe calling out after her, "Becs, it's Stacie's party; I'll be surprised if you even remember how to get home."_

 _Beca rolled her eyes, but laughed at how true that statement was. Stacie had always been the bad influence on her when it came to alcohol, but she wouldn't change it for the world._

" _Love you!" she yelled before leaving the apartment._

 _A couple hours into the party and a few bottles of beer later, Beca was bored. She was really happy to be back in her old home, celebrating her best friend's Birthday with her apartment party tradition, but somehow once she'd experienced three with Chloe's presence, not having her girlfriend there made her realise how much better she made the party._

 _There was no making out on the stairwell before they walked in; no inside jokes about Stacie's work friend's drama; no random concoctions of shots in the kitchen, but most importantly there would be no stumbling out of a cab at the end of the night and having awesome drunk sex together._

 _Basically, Chloe made any party better, and she was at home, ill and sober, while Beca nursed her beer and tried to look like she was having fun._

 _Stacie stumbled over, a half empty drink of some bright blue liquid in her glass, slurring at Beca to "Lighten the fuck up, it's my Birthday, you bitch!" The DJ couldn't do anything to stop the smile that broke out, taking over her entire face, because even when her best friend is completely wasted, she still knows how to cheer her up._

" _I just realised how shit your Birthday is without my girlfriend" she joked._

 _Stacie threw her head back laughing, before taking a sip of her drink. "I miss her too, Becs, she makes you more fun to be around."_

 _Before Beca could form a sarcastic retort, a blonde woman walking in through the apartment door caught her attention. Stacie must have noticed the change in her demeanour, following her gaze to the new comer who was now joining a group of guys by the fridge in the kitchen._

" _Hey, is that Casey?!"_

 _Stacie's drunken shout caused Beca to shove her hand upwards, covering her mouth, "Dude, shut up, she'll hear you!"_

 _ **XXX**_

Beca was quietly closing her apartment door behind her and walking into the dim light thrown out by the tall lamp in the corner. The television was still on, the sound muted and Chloe lying in a blanket on the sofa right where Beca had left her.

A quick press of the remote and the TV went blank, as she kneeled beside her sleeping girlfriend.

"Babe?" she spoke softly, nudging an arm sticking out of the blanket. Chloe eyes slowly fluttered open, a sleepy smile forming on her lips.

"Hey, you" she whispered, happy to be woken up by her notably sober girlfriend.

"I need to tell you something..." she said, sitting beside her.

Wait, Beca was sober. She looked at the time, realising she had been gone for less than three hours. The serious look in her eye was beginning to worry her, as she pushed off her elbows to sit up straight.

"Beca, what's going on? Is everything OK?"

A hand was quickly resting atop hers, "Yeah, everything's fine. I just really needed to talk to you..."

Chloe offered her a small smile, hinting her to continue, before the brunette cleared her throat.

"So, do you remember that girl Casey I told you about, the one that worked at that restaurant up on fifth?"

Chloe wiped the sleep out of her eyes, before nodding.

Casey was a waitress at a restaurant she and Stacie always use to dine at. It had this really homely atmosphere that was rare in New York City. Casey worked five shifts a week and Beca may or may not have found out her work hours, in order to synchronise their schedules...

So the three nights out of five, Beca and Stacie would book a table and eat dinner together; Casey being their waitress for the night. The woman had blonde hair and brown eyes, and for some reason, Beca thought she was the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen, but of course intimidated by her beauty, Beca was incapable of saying her dinner order smoothly, never mind ask her out.

"Well, turns out she knows some guys Stacie does and she came to the party tonight."

Chloe knew the (lack of) history with Casey, as Beca humoured her with stories about her misfortunes when trying to ask her out on numerous occasions, all while Stacie sat at the table trying not to crack up.

"Yeah?" she asked confused.

"Well, she finally talked to me, like actually taking an interest in me, and I didn't trip over my words once." Beca smiled, looking proud of herself.

Chloe chuckled, "Well done. I think I'm finally rubbing off on you" she joked. "But what's your point?"

"Dude, she asked me to walk her home."

There was a pause before she continued.

"Turns out she lived right down the street from my old apartment the whole damn time - typical, right? Anyways, I'm walking her to her door and she's giving me this look and then she's asking me if I want to come inside."

Chloe felt a twinge of something in her gut, but it wasn't worry.

"So, she's stood there, door ajar, bedroom eyes, and all I can keep thinking is "Wow, I dreamt about this every night for six months and its finally happening" but all I can picture is you curled up on the sofa, wrapped in this rag of a blanket..." she stopped to tug at the only corner of it not wrapped around the redhead, earning a chuckle "... and how much I want to come home and see you!"

Beca was grinning now, her eyes sparkling with something Chloe was unsure of. Her heart was swelling with love, as she realised how romantic her girlfriend was being right now.

"I think you've caught my fever..." Chloe mumbled, before squeezing Beca's hand.

"Shut up, I'm trying to tell you something right now."

Chloe merely smiled and nodded her head, flashing an apologetic look and then shaking her head in amusement.

"But, the point is, Casey made me realise something tonight. You're it for me, Chloe. Like, you're the one, my soul mate, my significant other, the love of my life, whatever, I only want to be with you for the rest of my life."

Beca's voice was frantic, her words unrehearsed, and Chloe suddenly realised she had totally misread this situation. From the moment Beca had started talking, Chloe was sure it was going to be a joke or a funny story - she most definitely was not anticipating, well, this.

Before she could respond, Beca was on her feet and lowering herself down on one knee in front of a bewildered redhead. She squeezed at her hand again, before wetting her lips.

"Beca, I-"

The brunette made a quiet shushing noise, before continuing on.

"I'm not proposing right now, chill out" she laughed quietly, "but I am telling you that I want to, some day. I don't know if we're ready yet, but I just need you to know that I want that for us."

Chloe sniffled; it wasn't because of her cold; and wiped away a tear that was slowly making its way down her cheek. Beca's words, her tone, the look in her eye, everything was so honest and perfect right now that she didn't know whether to smile or cry; in the end she did both.

"I've known you were the one when I started falling in love with you on our second date, even if it was in a coffee shop" she laughed, causing Beca to stand up on her knees.

"Hey, I paid for that coffee" she defended.

"Just shut up and kiss me, weirdo."

"God, you're so needy..." she breathed before closing the distance.

 **XXX**

 **A/N: If anyone has read my first fic "New York, New Love" you might have noticed this one shot was a sort of continuation of it, a year or two down the line. So if anyone was ever curious about how that ended up, you might have enjoyed this chapter. If not, let me know...**


	5. 5 - Stretch it Out

**Stretch it Out**

It was late; probably going up for three in the morning and for some reason Beca couldn't sleep. In fact, she knew the reason and pushing it out of her mind was no longer working. The way her eyes refused to remain closed for longer than thirty seconds and how she tossed and turned in her bed was all down to a certain redhead sleeping in the room below her.

Today, at the end of Bella practise, they both shared a moment that was way more thought provoicking then she would like to admit. Lately, their interactions were containing more and more of these little moments that made Beca lay awake at night unable to sleep.

Like the way Chloe would rub soft circles on the line of bare skin between her sock and pant leg when they led together on the couch with Beca's legs on her lap, or how she would hold her hand the entire time during Bella movie night under their shared blanket. These little things would make Beca question their friendship and what Chloe's actions actually meant.

At the beginning she didn't even notice it – just putting her behaviour down to Chloe's natural tactful personality, but a couple of months back she had an epiphany.

Chloe only ever holds her hand, or kisses her cheek. She doesn't wear any of the other Bella's clothes and she most definilty doesn't cuddle into their side when watching TV in the living room. Of course the redhead is a damn right flirt with everyone, but there's something about the way she whispers them into Beca's ear, or leaves lingering touches when she says them that makes the younger girl feel like they are indeed different.

Ever since Beca had realised this, the sleepless nights were happening more and more frequently. She let out a huff and turned onto her side for the millionth time, before closing her eyes tightly shut, willing sleep to come.

It wasn't long before her thoughts started up again and replaying their particular moment today.

All the other girls were filing out of the hall, the sound of Fat Amy's voice echoing off the walls "I never took that cardio tip seriously, why do I never take it seriously?!"

Eventually it was just the two of them left; Beca packing away her laptop and Chloe finishing off her "cool down and stretches" that none of the other girls really cared for. Now maybe if she was actually watching as she unplugged the charger and not staring at Chloe's certain _assets_ , she might have seen her Mac sliding off the top of the piano whilst she tugged the wire. Perhaps she could have caught it in time before it crashed to the floor – well probably not – but if she had, then Chloe wouldn't have caught her eyes lingering on certain parts of her body that a best friend probably shouldn't look at.

There were a lot of probabilities in that instance and Beca failed to score very high on all of them.

"Like what you see?"

And of course it began, Chloe throwing out teasing comments as Beca stood there, a blush on her cheeks and her words a fumbling mess.

"A broken laptop? Nah, not really..." she deadpanned, scooping said object up in her hands. If Beca was being honest, she was more than proud of that response, giving it a close second in her list of smooth replies to Chloe's not so innocent questions.

"Maybe if you weren't so distracted, you wouldn't have dropped it" Chloe challenged with a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.

"I wasn't."

OK, so that reply wasn't so smooth...

"Becs, you do know that I could see you in the mirror, right?"

"I wanted to see what kind of stretches you were doing that was all" she shrugged, attempting to act indifferent.

Chloe let out a laugh, followed by a quiet "Mm-hm, sure."

The brunette shook her head and turned onto her back in bed with a bitter laugh. She totally should have clocked the mirror...

 **XXX**

Chloe turned off her bedside lamp, readjusting herself on the mattress. It's strange how being awake late at night can fool someone into thinking they are the only person awake in the world...

She pulled the sheets up to her chin, attempting to drift to sleep, again. Beca was keeping her up, like most nights, but not in the sense that she wished she would. A sigh left her lips, as she thought back to earlier today in the hall after practise.

The cardio workout she planned was particularly draining today, so much so, she could still fell the dull ache in her calves from all the laps they had been running. Although she advised the girls join in her cool down, they always refused, waking up with more aches and pains than Chloe would, that for sure.

As for Beca, something makes Chloe think her back will feel fine in the morning. At first, Chloe wasn't going to say anything more, a flustered Beca Mitchell was adorable, and she had seen her fair share of it the moment the shorter woman dropped her laptop – but Chloe couldn't resist.

The redhead wasn't one hundred percent sure Beca was distracted, but the look on her face once Chloe mentioned the mirror and the DJ's reaction was enough to confirm her suspicions. The fact that Beca didn't catch onto it being physically impossible for Chloe to see her reflection was way more proof than she needed.

OK, so maybe knowing that Beca was watching her stretch made her feel bold and pulling at her arm and offering to stretch her back was probably a bit too much, but she can't undo it now. The feeling of knowing Beca was watching her in particular positions whilst she completed her cool down was actually really hot and that's what she's blaming her bout of overconfidence on...

Beca stood awkwardly, her back straight and stiff, whilst Chloe moved her hands over her shoulder blades. Her touch was light and almost hesitant, but she had a feeling Beca didn't notice. After a few minutes of Beca protesting and Chloe racking her brain for an actual exercise to stretch her back, they were standing face to face, Chloe giving the almost willing Beca instructions.

The redhead placed her hands around Beca's elbows, before telling Beca to do the same, then both of them were slowing leaning backwards, balancing each other's weight until they felt a slight pull in the centre of their back.

"See, Beca, exercise can be fun."

"In what way is this fun?" Beca asked slightly outraged by the idea.

Chloe felt a smile tugging on her lips and if wasn't for their position; she would probably be shaking her head.

"OK, enough, Beale, it's time to rest."

Chloe was slowly pulling herself up, as she felt Beca do the same, until they were both standing straight, looking at each other. Chloe's arms ran down Beca's and stopped to lace their fingers together. A flicker of a smile was quickly wiped away, but the redhead definitely knew it was there.

They stayed in silence like that for a few more seconds. Chloe knew she needed to let go of the hands in hers, but somehow she just couldn't bring herself to do it. That's when she sensed Beca's head leaning a little closer, and she couldn't help but bring her eyes down to her mouth, Beca's eyes following hers.

Their lips were millimetres apart and Chloe could swear the loud thudding was in fact Beca's heartbeat. An anticipation was building inside of her, the need to close the final distance becoming too much. A deep desire was forming around them and just as she was about to close the gap, a voice from the hallway was bringing them out of their moment, both woman jumping back from each other, immediately letting go of one another's hands.

"Hey, I forgot my-"

Stacie's voice died in her throat and suddenly there was this knowing smile plastered on her face; one that took over all of her features and glistened in her eyes. The tall brunette walked towards the piano, coyly picking up the half empty water bottle sitting next to Beca's now dying laptop. She waved the object in her hand, finishing off her sentence "...water bottle, but please, DO continue..."

And with that she skipped out of the hall leaving a rather embarrassed looking couple in her wake.

Chloe was brought out of her thoughts with the buzz of her phone on the bedside. The name Beca was lighting up her screen; in more ways than one; with the preview of a text message. Before she had the chance to read or open it, there was a soft knock on her bedroom door, and then it was being gently pushed open to reveal said texter donning her pyjamas and a wonky smile.

In a very uncharacteristic way, the DJ was bounding for the bed and jumping in next to a surprised Chloe in one swift motion. The dip in the mattress partnered with the jump caused Chloe to bounce on the other side of the bed and she let out a giggle.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" she questioned playfully, watching Beca make herself at home, turning to face her.

She shrugged in response, before smiling, "It was a little cold in my room, so I thought you could keep me warm" she joked, comically lifting and lowering her eyebrows.

"God, you're such a dork" she laughed.

"Yep, c'mon, it's late, go to sleep" she ordered, before gently bopping Chloe's nose.

"Says the one who woke me up" Chloe replied, feigning anger.

"Night, Chlo" she whispered quietly.

"Night."

Despite the moment earlier today, their friendship was still the same as it was before the Bella's practise, and Chloe was slowly running out of excuses to own up to her feelings and just tell Beca how she feels. But somehow, the redhead has a feeling Beca already knows and maybe right now that's enough.

 **XXX**


	6. 6 - Friends WithOUT Benefits

**Friends withOUT Benefits**

Chloe was pushing Beca up against the door, hands tangled in her hair. She felt a hand sliding down her spine, eliciting a shudder, as it moved to rest on her stomach. There was a flick of a tongue inside her mouth and the hand was quickly moving inside the waist band of her underwear.

The next thirty minutes were a blur of pure euphoria, causing her to drop her head back on the bed as Beca kissed a soft trail up her stomach, between her breasts and along a jaw.

"I thought we weren't doing this anymore?" Chloe asked, feeling Beca's lips pause on her neck.

"You weren't saying that a couple of minutes ago..." she smirked, rolling to the other side of the mattress.

"Yeah, well I was kind of distracted."

Chloe sighed.

Sleeping with Beca was something she promised herself she wouldn't do anymore. The build up was great, the main event was amazing, but the aftermath – totally not fucking worth it.

From the moment the redhead met the moody DJ at the activities fair, Chloe knew she wanted to get to know her, an invisible magnet pulling her closer. The sad fact was, over the last year, Chloe had realised Beca didn't feel that, and she most certainly didn't show it unless they were physically intimate.

"Hey, do you mind putting the deadbolt on the door before you leave; I'm going to grab a shower."

And just like that, Beca Mitchell was fully dressed and showing no signs of the intense feelings Chloe felt for her. She stopped on her way to the door, before turning back to the girl naked in her bed.

"I'll see you at the party tonight, yeah?"

"Maybe" Chloe shrugged, attempting to suppress the tears building in her eyes.

"Wear that black dress, I love you in that, and I like you even better out of it."

There was a devilish wink and then she was out of the door, probably hoping Chloe would be gone by the time she returned.

The redhead sat up, before gathering her clothes off the bedroom floor and slowly getting dressed. She tried not to pin too much hope on the way Beca had said "I love you in that", but failed miserably. Just before she let herself out of the dorm room, she ran her fingers over Beca's desk and mixing equipment and made her way to the door, feeling the all too familiar heartbreak and regret.

 **XXX**

"Chlo, when are you going to learn?"

She remembers when Aubrey's voice use to be sympathetic, but now it was just laced with disappointment.

"She treats you like shit, but yet you still go crawling back."

"Bree , not now."

Chloe shut her bedroom door closed, flopping down onto her bed, face down. She finally let the tears fall and gave her cries a voice. This was it, no more sleeping with her – she couldn't take feeling like this again.

Chloe woke up a few hours later, the sunlight once in her window replaced by the night sky. She stood up, passing the mirror on the wall, catching a glimpse of her puffy eyes and the dried tear stains on her cheek. She ran a hand through her hair, before leaving her room and preparing for Aubrey's lecture.

"C'mon, we're going out" Aubrey instructed, as she met Chloe in the hallway, gently pushing her back into her bedroom and onto her bed.

"I don't really feel like-"

Aubrey walked to her closet, opening the door, instantly cutting the other woman off, "Nope, I don't want to hear it. You are going out and that's final. Beca Mitchell will not turn my friend into a wallowing mess."

Chloe threw her head back on to the bed, letting out a sigh, "Beca Mitchell isn't going to make me feel like this anymore" she mumbled, bringing her hands up to cover her face.

"Yeah, I know, Chloe, save the same speech for another time. Let's just go out, get wasted and forget about her..."

Chloe let out a snigger, "You know, Bree, you're not really doing the whole best friend thing very well right now" she deadpanned. Aubrey turned sharply, throwing a dress at her friend's head.

"Hey, the first six months I was there with ice cream, chick flicks and endless nights of drunken karaoke, but the point is that was _six_ months ago, Chloe. Another six months in and you're still doing this to yourself over and over again - it's exhausting. I can't even imagine what it must be like for you" she said, taking a seat on the end of the bed.

"I love her" she choked, the sadness rushing back. After a deep breath she finally removed her hands from her face, daring a glance at Aubrey.

Her expression was soft and concerned, accompanied by a sad smile. The blonde woman placed a comforting hand on her knee, before quietly speaking.

"Look, Chlo, you know how I feel about the situation, but she doesn't deserve your love. You're an amazing person and that bitch is bringing you down" she scolded, before straightening her face and continuing "Let's go out, try and forgot about her, just for tonight?" she pleaded.

Chloe smiled softly, sitting up, before whispering a far from confident "OK."

Aubrey clapped her hands excitedly and left the redhead to get ready. Chloe tried to clear her mind, attempting to at least look like she was cheering up; for her best friend's sake; but her tries were dashed when she noticed which black dress Aubrey had picked out and suddenly Chloe found herself back at square one.

 **XXX**

The frat house was heaving, the blaring music causing the ground to vibrate under her feet. The girl she had been eyeing for the past twenty minutes was slowly inching closer to where Beca was stood and the DJ couldn't help but let out a triumphant laugh, still regularly looking in her direction.

"Why don't you go talk to her?" Tom asked, passing her a red solo cup; beer full to the brim.

"I don't need to..." she turned her back, facing the man in front of her, so the woman was no longer in her line of sight "...you see, if you wait for just right the moment, they always come to you, in, three, two..." she mimed the number one, as she heard a "Hi" behind her, right on cue.

She smirked at Tom, before turning her attention to the woman behind her and handing her the full cup from her grasp.

"Here, your cups empty."

It wasn't long before she had this redhead pinned up against a wall in the kitchen. The woman had a slight resemblance to another redhead she knows, but Beca didn't dwell on that thought, instead opting to place her thigh in between the other woman's legs. There was an approving moan as she applied some light pressure, but Beca was no longer paying attention, completely stuck in her own head.

 _Where was Chloe anyway?_ Even the slightest mention of a party and Beca was sure to find her at the end of the night, waiting for her to take Chloe home. Considering her slip up this afternoon, Beca was sure the woman would literally be the first one here. She didn't mean to say the word "love", it just kind of came out. She registered the hope in Chloe's eyes when she said it, making the DJ instantly regretful.

The thing that drew Beca to Chloe was, first and foremost, her beauty. The smile, the eyes, her voice, everything about Chloe was insanely perfect, but when Beca started actually talking to her, she soon realised the redhead was way more than just a hot college girl. Beca wanted her; she needed her, and she was certain she couldn't cope if anybody else got to have her.

So, Beca got her number, turned on the charm and slept with her, dubbing them friends with benefits and nothing else, but Beca was one hundred percent certain she could never obtain the most beautiful (inside and out) woman she had ever met.

Yep, she's well aware how fucked up that is – she knows that treating Chloe like shit is wrong, but there is something about the way she grabs Beca's hand too tightly when it's finally in her grasp. Something about the amount of passion she pours into every single kiss, but above all it's the way Chloe looks at her, with those breath-taking eyes and tells her things like "I want you" or how her words "I love you, Becs" hold so much meaning whether she's pleading Beca to spend the night, or their rolling off the tongue during her climax.

The most fucked up thing about it all is that Beca loves her too. Knowing Chloe feels the same eases her fear of rejection, but admitting her feelings and emotions is just something the brunette is incapable of doing.

So instead, Beca calls her at any hour, day or night, asking if she'll come over – they kiss, they make love and Beca closes off again, doubling the distance between them as quickly as possible, but the next time when she dials Chloe's number - the hurt in the other woman's eyes burned into her skull - Chloe always comes running back, and now Beca knows she doesn't have to tell Chloe she loves her, because she'll always be there, regardless of how she's treated.

 **XXX**

 **A/N: This may or may not have gotten a bit darker than I planned.**


	7. 7 - Chemistry P2

**A/N: For the guest reviewer who wanted a part two, here you go...**

 **XXX**

 **Chemistry Part 2**

"Alright, so everybody have a nice summer break."

The students began filling out of the classroom, ignoring Beca's good-bye and rushing out onto the corridor, pushing their way through the crowds.

"Yeah, you too, Miss Mitchell" she sighed under her breath sarcastically, shuffling the papers on her desk.

"Yeah, you too, Miss Mitchell."

Beca looked in the direction of the foreign voice, to see Chloe leaning lazily on the doorframe, with her arms crossed over her chest, a smile planted firmly on her lips. The music teacher walked into the room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

"You know, the music department is a long walk from the science labs."

Even since Beca had nervously stumbled down the corridor to Chloe's classroom, they had been spending more time together. Beca was able to form sentences and think coherent thoughts around her after the first few times they ate lunch together.

Their first conversation in the music room was strained to say the least. Beca either hummed or nodded all the while nervously bobbing her leg up and down under the table. Chloe just seemed to maintain the conversation, whilst wearing a reassuring smile she was sure was only used when attempting to aid a kid's confidence to answer a question in her class.

The lunch dates were becoming more common and Chloe had now started swinging by her classroom just after school hours to walk with Beca to the parking lot. She couldn't help but think how soon thinks had escalated in a matter of weeks; they texted frequently (Beca does not text) and Chloe would randomly surprise her at her classroom with coffee or donuts – all of it was strange and unusual, but after a while Beca got use to it and now she's almost sure she's relying on it throughout her working day.

She's can't quite pinpoint the moment she decided to ask Chloe out, but now it's becoming more of a need and less of a desire. There have been many failed attempts this past week – the pressure of the summer holidays have put Beca on a constant cusp of asking, but before she can finish her sentence, the words seem to fail her, again.

She knows her window is closing and the thought of not seeing Chloe during the summer is actually unnerving; the two day weekend is a struggle, never mind two months.

The music teacher perched on the end of table across from her, waiting patiently for Beca to gather her things, "Yeah, well, I needed to stretch my legs and Chemistry is where the fun's at" she chirped with an exaggerated wink.

Its things like that that make Beca really want to ask, but at the same time it renders her speechless. She really needs to get it together.

"Come on, I want to leave this building for summer as much as the kids"

Once they were in the parking lot, Chloe hopped onto the bonnet of Beca's car, wearing a grin and eyes focused on her.

"What?"

"Nothing..."

Before she could reply, Chloe was continuing to speak.

"Do you not think it's weird we've seen each other almost every day for the past four weeks, and now we just _won't_ during summer?"

 _This is your chance. Just ask her – You'll never know if you don't ask._

"Well, I guess maybe at first?"

 _Shit._

"Wow, Beca, you could at least try and make out like you're going to miss me..."

Chloe stood up, clutching her chest dramatically, whilst clicking the fob to her car.

"Well, we could always, like, go out sometime?"

Choosing to ask that question the moment Chloe leaned into the backseat of her car was probably a bad idea, especially considering Beca basically whispered it whilst she rustled some music sheets in her bag.

"...On a date?" Beca spoke louder, slowly leaning forward, her hand stilling in the air, unable to bring it the rest of the way down to meet Chloe's shoulder.

"I think we should go out on a date!" she shouted the moment Chloe decided to turn around to face her.

 _Shit._

Beca slumped onto the door of her car, her face scrunched up, and the heat burning her cheeks. The lack of a response was answer enough, but she was unsure how to salvage the situation. Excuses such as "I'm only joking" or "Well, that got your attention" would have been so much better than the one she chose. Beca was well aware they were alone in the car park; all the teachers were probably still in the building and the students were long gone by now, but for some reason looking in the direction of the school entrance and mumbling something about Miss Elliot not hearing her seemed like the best idea at the time.

Chloe's facial expression swiftly changed from confused to, hurt? She's not sure, but it definitely wasn't a look Beca was use to. Her stomach seemed to drop to her feet at the sight before her, as the other woman started to close the car door she was leaning on and a smile was back on her face.

"As if you have a crush on Miss Elliot and didn't tell me?!" Chloe playfully slapped her arm and upon closer inspection, Beca had a feeling the smile wasn't completely genuine.

"I, erm, well, I-"

Beca had not only missed her moment, but she had managed to completely mess it up. There was an easy fix to this disastrous fuck-up, but she couldn't string a sentence together, because that would just be too fucking easy, right?

"It's OK, Becs, I won't tell her. I like Kate, she's sweet, but asking her out from the other side of the parking lot isn't exactly romantic..." she mocked, pulling at the handle to her car.

"No, probably not..." she deadpanned, looking at her feet. A quick chanced glance at Chloe and Beca could still see the smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Well, I'm going get going. Schools out for the summer and all that..."

"Yeah, sure, see you after summer ..."

 **XXX**

The drive home consisted of yelling, hands slamming down on the steering wheel and a lot of not so much internal berating. To say Beca was angry at herself was the understatement of the summer, and it hadn't even begun yet. Asking Chloe out was never going to be easy, Beca was more than prepared for that, but she didn't practise in her car's rear view mirror every morning for a week in order for it to end like that.

No, damn, way.

She stormed through her front door, angrily kicking off her shoes and flinging her car keys onto the kitchen counter. Reaching for the bottle of beer in the refrigerator door, she popped the cap, took a long swig and slammed it down next to the sink.

 _Nope, this is not happening. Just nope._

And with that thought, Beca pulled out her phone from the bag by her feet and scrolled through her contacts. Once finding Chloe's name, she tapped on the call button and placed the device to her ear.

"Dude, you've got this" she whispered encouragingly, to no one in particular – because the moment she heared Chloe's voice through the receiver, the feeling of 'having it' suddenly passed.

"Beca?"

"Hey."

She really tried to sound confident, but her word wavered, she instantly took another sip of beer, before pacing her kitchen.

"Look, do you want to go out sometime? I don't know why those words have been so difficult to say to you recently - because they have literally been swimming around my head for weeks – but I want to take you out, like, wherever you want to go, we'll go."

Without even really registering what she was saying, Beca absent-mindedly downed the beer and threw the bottle into the trash can with a loud smash.

"Chloe, do you want to go on a date with me?"

There was no answer. She could hear breathing on the other end, so Beca knew she was still on the line. The silence seemed to last for minutes, until there was a noise; it sounded like a combination of a deep breath and a hum, and Beca wasn't even regretting asking – the alcohol working its way through her bloodstream.

"We can see a movie, grab dinner, you know, whatever shit people do on dates – and I promise I'll have you home by a reasonable time. I'll pay. I'll even pick you up..."

 _Shit._

The rambling was slowly getting out of control and a reply of the events in the parking lot was only a sentence away, until...

"Yes, Beca, I want to go out with you" Chloe laughed.

"On a date."

Beca was glad of the clarification and a lot more thankful for it than Chloe would ever know.

"You know for a chemistry teacher, you're not very good at spotting it."

The brunette laughed and just like that, Beca was going on a date with the hottest music teacher in school.

 **XXX**


	8. 8 - Tune Me Out

**Tune Me Out**

Chloe marched up the stairs, each step oozing with determination. It was time to do this, just let go, silence the voices of uncertainty and worry and just take the plunge – waiting for Beca to come to her was an exhausting experience and quite frankly probably something that would never happen.

So the moment was now, Chloe was going to tell her best friend; after three years of friendship; she was one hundred percent hopelessly in love with her. It all seemed far too quick, but Chloe was already at the top step of Beca and Fat Amy's bedroom and out the corner of her eye, she could see said best friend sat in front of her laptop.

Chloe tightly closed her eyes, contemplating what to do next, before the same determination from a moment ago was back in full force and she was striding towards Beca and pacing the length of the two beds in the room. The younger woman's back was still turned away from her, but Chloe thought the lack of eye contact was probably a good idea – Beca might freak out and eye contact will only make things worse.

She cleared her throat, before closing her eyes again; she's not sure why she feels better doing that, she just does.

"OK, so I've had enough. I've been waiting two years for you to finally admit how you feel, but I'm getting tired, Beca and I'm scared if I wait for you to say it, it will never happen."

She sucked in a deep breath, the words tumbling quickly from her lips, her steps more frantic and hands waving circles in the air.

"I don't know about you, but I can't keep it bottled up anymore. If I don't say anything, I'll regret it."

The lack of a response made Chloe want to open her eyes, but the image of a wide eyed Beca, slumped in her swivel chair was the scariest thought she'd ever had, so instead Chloe paused, before continuing on, her eyes still firming closed.

"I don't know if you feel the same, but the way you bring me coffee when I'm studying, or buy my favourite candy when I'm down makes me think you might. I've tried my hardest to make it clear to you – but you're just really slow, Becs!"

She let out a sigh and a nervous laugh, "Like, really slow!"

"But, that's not important right now. What's important is that I don't kiss anybody else's cheek when they get me coffee and don't spoon anyone else at night unless that person means something to me, you know?"

Her words were barley separated by a breath anymore, but she wanted – no needed – to get them out. The steps she was pacing were starting to feel a little lighter, like the weight of keeping this to herself was finally easing.

The fear of seeing her best friend shocked and speechless was slowly being replaced by a slight anger; like why isn't she at least responding right now?! That's rude...

"Are you even listening?! Beca, I fucking love you!" she shouted, her eyes snapping open, arms slapping by her sides.

There was a sinking feeling in her stomach, Chloe could feel the regret wash over her, any signs of the determination or weightlessness she felt less than three seconds ago completely vanishing.

And maybe if Chloe was brave enough to address Beca upon entering the room she would have seen the headphones hanging over her best friends ears.

And perhaps if her words weren't rushed and her eyes weren't closed during the entirety of her brutally honest speech, she would have noticed Beca couldn't hear one single word she had just said.

 **XXX**


	9. 9 - WeirdLove

Weird/ **Love**

Beca was becoming more and more regretful as the car neared the house. An unnerving feeling in the pit of her stomach had been present since setting off, but now it was more prominent and causing her heart beat to spike.

The minute Chloe asked her to stay the weekend at her parent's house; Beca didn't have to even think before replying with a resounding no. Visiting stranger's houses wasn't something Beca thought she would ever be asked and for a whole weekend? No thanks.

Chloe was dressed in her pyjamas, sleep still in her eyes and wondering lazily around the Bella house kitchen. Beca noted that the flannel hanging on her shoulders was in fact hers, but seeing Chloe wearing it made her think perhaps she should keep it.

But that would be _weird_ , because that's Beca's favourite shirt and she's certain that until that moment she had never wanted to part with it. Chloe was stirring her morning coffee, stood with one foot resting on the other, her face vacant and eyes fixed on the window.

Beca's not sure why, but she wanted to stand up from the breakfast bar stool she was currently residing on and place a kiss on her cheek, just like Chloe would do to her. Beca's pretty sure if she did it, things would get _weird_ , so instead she brought her attention back to her cereal and tried to stop thinking about the woman in front of her; so far, it wasn't going well.

"S'up, pitches."

Fat Amy strolled into the room, after an overly heavy pat to Beca's back (seriously, her hair dipped in her bowl) and a wink at Chloe, the Australian headed straight for the fridge and proceeded to drink the orange juice straight from the carton, again.

"You know, you really should use a glass when drinking communal juice" Beca reminded, her tone sounding almost bitter.

"Chloe, make your girlfriend more cheery..."

"I'm not-"

"Yeah, Beca, we know what you're going to say, we just don't believe it."

Beca shot Chloe an exasperated look that said "please help me", but the redhead just shrugged and smiled into her coffee mug.

"Alright, I'll let you two say good morning... intimately" Fat Amy winked at no one in particular and walked out of the kitchen in the same fashion she entered. Seriously, Beca does not want any more milk in her hair.

Chloe broke the silence, leaning on the counter and dipping a spoon into Beca's bowl. Taking a spoonful of cereal and bringing it to her mouth, she softly prodded Beca's arm with it.

"So, what are you doing this weekend?" the redhead asked, upbeat and smiley.

"You mean apart from eating my breakfast far, far away from you?"

Beca attempted to defend her food by bashing the intruding spoon with her own, Chloe merely laughed and continued to help herself to the contents of the dish.

"Nothing, I guess I was just going to stay in and work on the set list" she shrugged.

"Great, how about you work on the set list, with me, at my house this weekend?"

"You mean your house as in your parent's house?"

"Yeah."

"Erm, no" Beca immediately answered, noting the change of Chloe's demeanour; perhaps that was a little crass.

"I mean, erm no thank you?" she questioned.

Chloe gave her a pointed stare before standing up straight – it was like she was waiting for Beca to say something else, but the brunette wasn't sure what. Rather than speaking, she opted for rinsing her bowl at the sink and got to her feet.

"Why is me asking you over to my house a bad idea?"

From her tone, Beca could tell how Chloe genuinely thought asking her was nothing but a good idea. Beca shook her head slightly.

"I didn't say it was a bad idea, I just- I don't get asked to people's houses, Chlo. It's just _weird_ , that's all."

There it is again, that word that she keeps using whenever Beca thinks about their interactions – _weird._ Because kisses on cheeks and spontaneous handholding is _weird_ ; sharing each other's breakfast and contemplating kissing your best friend on the cheek is _weird_.

"Well, why don't you spend the weekend with me and then it won't be _weird_?"

"I don't know."

 _Wait, I don't know?_

Beca does know, well should know, that a weekend in stranger's house is never on the cards. The possibility of sharing a bathroom with people she doesn't know and sleeping in an unfamiliar bed for a maximum of three nights is less than likely. Beca says no to any requests like this one.

Why is it now, when Chloe asks, it's an "I don't know"?

"Becs, please? My Mom and Dad want to meet you; you're my best friend of two years and they haven't even spoken to you."

"Yeah, because I'm really uninteresting and I wouldn't know what to say" she deadpanned turning to face Chloe with her back resting on the edge of the sink.

 _Big mistake._

Chloe's arms were snaking around her sides and boxing her in. She was moving closer and Beca could smell the coffee on her breath and feel it lightly linger on her skin. She tried to ignore the way her eyes instinctively trailed to her lips and she really tried to forget the sensation of Chloe's fingers running a pattern on her forearm.

"Please?" she repeated, drawing out the word, with puppy dog eyes and a clearly forced sad expression on her face.

So, here she is, sat in the passenger seat of a now stationary car, eyes roaming a rather large house and her mind urging every muscle in her body to just get up and run.

Chloe's hand on her knee brought her out of her thoughts and Beca pulled her eyes from the window and onto the hand still on her leg.

"It's going to be fine."

And just like, all of Beca's negatives thoughts and feelings on the matter seemed to just evaporate into nothingness and when Chloe stepped out of the car, Beca followed, suddenly feeling soothed and at ease. A quick tug at bags from the trunk and they were walking up the steps, and Chloe's hand had somehow found its way in Beca's.

 **XXX**

Beca tried not to think about why Chloe's words were always so calming and reassuring for her; she tried to forget how right it felt, walking into Chloe's family home for the first time with their hands intertwined and she really tried not to think how it all felt like Chloe was bringing her home to meet the parents in a much less platonic way than it was arranged.

Meeting Chloe's parents wasn't at all how Beca had imagined. It wasn't nerve racking or awkward, but instead more like a familiar feeling of coming home; which was _weird._

It was no secret Beca's home life had been a struggle. Living in a rough neighbourhood, with a depressed Mother wasn't exactly how kids played house these days, but that's what Beca knows. Her Dad's absence when growing up didn't affect her too much though; as a matter of fact, living with just her Mom was probably the reason walking into Chloe's house didn't feel as foreign as it perhaps should.

Sure, it was much bigger than her house back in the city, but it still had the same homely feeling and somehow Chloe and her parents made Beca feel a lot more than just welcomed. She wasn't sure if it was the way they spoke, or what they said, but from the moment Chloe had said things were fine, Beca felt like they were.

 **XXX**

It was a weekend full of beach activities, trips to local museums, board games after dinners and wine by the fire pit. Beca cannot recall a time she felt uncomfortable; even when Chloe's Mom and Dad quizzed her about her career plans after college.

It was the last and final night of the weekend, and Chloe was led next to her, donning sleep shorts, a tank and Beca's same flannel in Chloe's bedroom. The N'Sync posters and the wall art were very high school, but Beca couldn't help but grow to like the space.

Everything was just so, Chloe. From the fairy lights hung around the vanity and the photo collage of her high school years hanging on the wall above the bed made Beca feel safe; like being here, in this room, sharing a bed with her best friend was where she was suppose to be all along – which was _weird,_ because this room is painted bright pink from top to bottom and she's pretty sure in any other circumstance, it would give her a headache.

"Have you had fun?"

There was movement beside her and Chloe was turning onto her side, resting her hand under her cheek.

"Yeah, it's been fun."

There was a hum in response and Beca couldn't quite pull her eyes away from the small content smile sitting comfortably on her best friend's face.

"The pink wasn't too much?" Chloe joked, the signs of a smirk on her lips.

The brunette turned to face her, mirroring her position, "Well, it did take some adjusting, but I think my eyes have gotten use to it now."

There was a silence, as they both just looked at each other, smiles on their faces.

"I like your life here."

Beca's not sure why she said those words out loud, but she did and now there is no way they can be taken back. Chloe quirked an eyebrow and waited for her to continue.

"I mean, your parents, your house, the friends on your wall..." she hoisted a thumb to point at the wall behind them "...I feel like coming here has somehow made me see why you are the way you are, you know?"

"And how am I?" she asked, not so subtly hiding the curiosity in her voice.

"You're amazing, Chlo. I've always known you are, but I guess coming here has finally made me see it."

They didn't exchange any more words after that. Chloe just smiled, before Beca immediately turned to lay on her back in order to reduce some of the intensity in their stares. The redhead simply mumbled quiet thanks and snuggled her head closer to Beca's shoulder.

A short ten minutes later and her breathing had evened out, the faint sounds of Chloe's familiar snores sounding in her ear. Beca led awake for a while after that, just staring at the pink ceiling until the crisp early morning light shone through the curtains.

She was battling the urge to place an arm around Chloe's shoulder and pull her closer, as well as trying to piece together what she had meant before. By the time Beca's eyes had started to grow heavy, she felt like she finally knew what everything meant.

The need to keep Chloe close and the calmness she radiated wasn't _weird_ at all; in fact wanting Chloe to keep her flannel, kiss her on the cheek, visit her parents at the weekend more often, spontaneous hand holding, or wrapping an arm around her shoulder when she slept wasn't _weird_ at all.

The right word was never _weird_ **;** it was always **love**. She **loves** Chloe, and doing those things is a way of showing that **love** , giving that affection is what she would **love** to do.

In fact, Beca doesn't just **love** Chloe; she is _**in love**_ with her.

Beca swiftly moved her arm from by her side and over Chloe's shoulder – she didn't even need to pull her closer, Chloe moved towards her, a soft hum leaving her lips as she relaxed into the embrace.

It was then Beca let her eyes close, and everything she had been trying not to think about was a constant chant in her head.

It's not _weird_ to **love** Chloe Beale, because how could she not?

 **XXX**


	10. 10 - Don't be a Stranger

" **Don't be a Stranger"**

The coffee shop was always Beca's first order of business in a morning; it didn't matter if she was running late for work, or the queue was out of the door – one way or another Beca would make her same coffee order no matter what.

This morning it was grey and gloomy; the dark winter mornings making the desire for caffeine that little bit stronger. She weaved in and out of the people on the sidewalk and internally applauded at the sight of the shop door. The glow from the lights shone through the windows, casting a shadow onto the street. Beca couldn't help but quickly pull at the handle and smile as the warmth of the store soothed her cold hands.

The queue was longer today; several customs stood in line, impatient sighs and tapping feet echoing over the faint sound of the radio. Beca took out her phone to check the time; she had eleven minutes left until she was late for work, but once coffee calls, Beca knows she has to answer – no matter how long it takes.

Eleven minutes later and she was nearing to the front of the till – she was one tall man in a suit away from holding a hazelnut latte in her hands. Beca turned her head to browse at the menu, scanning the lunch options and contemplating returning later for the Panini.

"Hey, the usual?"

Beca lost her train of thought and brought her attention to the redhead in front of her. Chloe (Beca checked her name tag the first time she made her coffee - No, it's not weird) greeted her with the same warm smile she did most mornings and picked up one of the take-out paper cups.

"Yeah, please."

In all honesty, Beca preferred it when Chloe made her coffee – it always seemed to taste better and Beca's one hundred percent sure it has something to do with how much she actually likes her. The first time they met, Beca was unprepared; the usually grumpy lady with a mono brow had been replaced and by god was it an improvement. Not only did Chloe remember her order, but Beca thought her beauty was definitely that something to sweeten the deal.

They quickly fell into their usual chatter about Beca's work and how busy Chloe's morning had been until her latte was ready and on the counter. A quick swipe of a loyality card and the correct amount of change, and Beca was picking up her cup and about to make her way out.

"Hey, you forgot something."

Beca turned around, a look of confusion on her face. She glanced down to see her coffee and iPhone in her hands, as well as her bag resting on her shoulder before she replied.

"Yeah?"

Chloe was motioning her back over, and for some reason Beca was rushing to get there. The hot contents in her cup shaking around and warming her hands.

"Yep, you forgot this..."

Chloe's tone seemed less professional and more playful now. The way it was when they spoke in between ordering and paying; Beca liked it. She dragged her eyes to the napkin being pushed over the counter, and shoved her phone in a pocket. Once she clawed it closer with her fingers, Beca noticed the numbers in black ink scribbled across it.

"My number."

The shorter woman's eyes widened upon hearing the sentence and quickly shot up to see a playful smirk on Chloe's lips, followed by a wink.

"Oh, urm..."

She wasn't sure what to say. Out of all the possible scenarios this morning could have thrown at her, this one; Chloe actually writing her number on a napkin; was right below seeing pigs fly.

"Come on, it's a onetime offer. Take the napkin..." she paused with a smile. There was a beat of silence before she finally held the soft paper in her hand and realised Chloe was waiting for her to say something.

"Oh, I'm Beca."

Her voice was shy, and the raised tone at the end made it sound like she was asking a question.

"OK, Beca, well let me be honest, I don't give my number to all of my customers, so that means your special. Take the napkin and call me once you get off work?"

Chloe was smiling, resting her forearms on the counter and literally levelling with her; in more ways than one. Beca couldn't help but let her eyes fall down to her lips for a second, before letting out a nervous laugh.

"OK."

And that was it. Beca had no retort, no smooth line; just a very unsure and bland OK, but it seemed to work and Chloe was standing up straight again and turning her attention to one of the coffee machines. Instead of attempting to say anything else, the brunette picked up her cup and proceeded to make her way out of the shop for a second time. There was a huge smile on her face, as she studied the number in her hand again.

"Don't be stranger!"

Beca heard a faint giggle follow, and she was out of the coffee shop, back into the cold, and now nine minutes late to work, but at least she had Chloe's number; that was by far already the highlight of her day.

 **XXX**


	11. 11 - Weddings and Champagne

Weddings and Champagne

"Just offer champagne and smile for god's sake!"

The words of her boss whirled around her brain as Beca made her hundredth perimeter of the tent.

Six months into living in LA and Beca had managed to rent a small (tiny) studio apartment by the beach and secure a job as a waitress for a catering company – becoming a successful music producer was still in the process of happening; well, no, not really, but it's only been six months...

Another wedding, another pay check – so here she was four hours into the reception, with a tray of champagne glasses and a forced smile greeting the guests. Beca usually eavesdropped on their conversations as a way to pass time, but listening to rich people complain about their "problems" would cause her to say something she would soon come to regret.

After all, she couldn't afford to lose this job; expensive mixing equipment and rent was not going to pay for itself.

"Hey, hold my tray; I'm nipping to the rest room."

"But it's not your break?"

"Emily, just hold the fucking tray."

As she made her way outside and up the grass banking she could hear the faint sounds of the first dance being introduced; she rolled her eyes and started walking faster.

 _Jesus, weddings are awful._

Once Beca had worked less than half a dozen of them, she had become all too familiar with the way weddings worked – the teary parents; the uncomfortable silence between in-laws; the grooms wandering eye; the drunk and embarrassing maid of honour, and do not get her started on the synchronised dance routines.

She pushed the toilet door open - at least in the bathroom she could play on her phone for twenty minutes and take a break from all the smiling. Three levels into candy crush and there was a slam of the door and heels tapping on marble floor. Beca heard them stop and the sound of a bag landing on the sink. Willing herself to focus on her game, she ignored the conversation starting up on the opposite side of the door.

One of the voices spoke a little louder than the other, "So, seen anyone you like?"

Beca couldn't help but roll her eyes at the women chatter in bathrooms. It seemed their venting or heart to hearts always seemed to occur in a rest room, where other people were just trying to pee. Surely there were more hygienic and appropriate places to have a conversation?

She couldn't help but lend some of her focus to their conversation, causing her to mouth a silent "fuck's sake" as she lost yet another life on the same level of the game lighting up the screen in front of her; the words from outside echoing off the tiles.

"Stacie, this is Fat Amy and Bumper's day, I'm just happy to be here."

"Hey, a wedding is basically a giant excuse to hook up with someone?" Stacie replied with a tone that said _duh._

"If you say so..."

"C'mon, you really think I haven't seen you eyeing that brunette handing out the champagne?"

If Beca's attention was grabbed before, it was now tightly gripped in a strong hold, her game abandoned. Her eyebrows shot to her hairline and the feet that were once comfortably resting on the stall door slipped downwards, almost sending her toppling to the ground.

There was a slight pause.

"Chloe, you've been watching her from the moment we got here" Stacie said bluntly.

 _Chloe._

Beca mouthed the name, trying to recall if she knew a Chloe.

 _Nope._

"Maybe..."

Chloe's voice sounded guilty, but Beca had a feeling it was said with a smile.

"So, go out there and do something about it. After all you're going to be the only bridesmaid not getting any tonight."

There was another tapping of heels and the sound of the door closing. Beca let out a breath, thankful that she had gone unnoticed. Her mind wandered to the guests at the reception; surely she had served at least one of the bridesmaids' champagne tonight? Where there three, four? She couldn't remember. The sudden sound of a tap running startled her.

So much so, Beca's tight grip on her phone relaxed, causing it to fall to the ground with a clash. She watched in horror, unable to move, as the device bounced, hitting the side of the stall, before - defying all rules of fucking gravity – flying under the gap of the door and outside the stall.

She tightly closed her eyes, before getting to her feet, silently praying it was Stacie behind the door. A quick flick of the lock and she was staring at her phone; miraculously not smashed and level three of Candy Crush illuminating the heeled shoe next to it.

"Hey" she said, calmly reaching to retrieve the phone.

"You just heard everything, didn't you?"

The almost flustered voice most definitely didn't belong to Stacie.

She isn't too sure what she was imagining this Chloe to look like when she was eavesdropping in the stall, but she's pretty sure she could never have pictured the redhead in front of her. Beca was sure she hadn't seen this woman all night, because if she had, Beca would have remembered.

She took solace in the way Chloe looked almost embarrassed by the current situation and after a second or two of silence and awkward eye contact in the mirror, Beca snapped back into action.

"Yeah, start to finish. We can pretend I didn't if that makes you feel better?" she said nonchalantly, throwing in the shrug of her shoulders just for good measure.

Chloe laughed, watching Beca quickly rinse her hands in the sink.

"I'm Chloe" she offered with a smile.

"Hello, Chloe-the-only-bridesmaid-not-getting-any-tonight. I'm Beca-the-brunette-handing-out-champagne."

The redhead laughed, before reapplying red lipstick.

"You're not very good at pretending, are you?" she mumbled.

Beca wiped her hands on a paper towel in order to busy herself, pulling her eyes away from the other woman's lips.

"I try, you know?" she replied sarcastically, discarding the towel into the trash can.

Chloe put the lid back on the lipstick and dropped it back into her bag, locking eyes with Beca, with what looked like a mischievous smile. There was a moment of silence, where both women just shared a look, until Chloe was putting her bag back over her shoulder.

"Alright, I suppose I better get back out there" she said with finality, turning to face the door.

"Yeah, me too" Beca muttered quietly.

"Well, it was nice to meet you."

Beca couldn't believe what was happening right now and before she had a second to filter her thoughts, words were tumbling from her lips before she could stop them.

"Seriously, that's it?" she called out.

The redhead was turning on her heels, no longer facing the door and looking at Beca expectantly, "I'm sorry?"

She was thankful of the two glasses of champagne she'd downed before pawning her tray off to Emily and making her way to the bathroom, because she's one hundred percent sure if she hadn't, she would be a stuttering mess right now.

"I overhear your conversation; that was about me by the way; and you're going to leave me with "nice to meet you"?" she asked, slightly exasperatedly.

Chloe took a step closer, "What was I supposed to say?"

"I don't know something along the lines of "I'll find you later"?"

If there was ever a reason Beca didn't drink champagne, it was completely defined in that sentence. It was a bold move and she knew it, the confused look on Chloe's face made her wish she'd never said it. Then she was taking another step further into the bathroom and closer to a now suddenly nervous Beca.

Why didn't she listen to her boss' advice; "just smile and serve champagne."

Chloe was now smiling at her and stopping a little closer than was deemed socially acceptable.

"Well I could do with a glass of champagne" she challenged, the trace of a smirk on her face.

Beca couldn't help but smile at that.

 **XXX**

 **A/N: I couldn't decide if Chloe was going to cry or embarrass herself in the bathroom. In the end I went for the latter, I'm giving you guys way too much angst, sorry.**


	12. 12 - Famous Encounter

**Prompt: "Beca is a music producer Chloe is a model she meets at an event."**

 **Famous Encounter**

Beca Mitchell was never a fan of the fame.

The flashing of cameras, the red carpet events, appearance in the media; it was all a big song and dance Beca didn't like or care too much of its tune. Her work was all about the music; perhaps not so much its success in the charts, but partnering up with someone as passionate about music as her and creating a sound that caused its listener's hairs to stand on end.

When the name Beca Mitchell first got around the music scene, she was living in a shared apartment and counting down the days until pay day (it seemed the rent was always due). Once she had worked with some of the big names and lent her vocals to a few tracks, Beca was in a much more spacious apartment without a single worry regarding the rent.

That was the moment Beca knew she had done enough; she had proved her Dad wrong and finally made DJing a profession. It seemed the opportunities to work with such great talents were always presenting themselves and producing number one albums was slowly becoming a trademark, but she doesn't like to brag – she just loves her job.

Red carpet events? Not so much.

After attending an awards show her 'people' said would be a "good way to create some buzz about the upcoming album", Beca found herself being dragged to an after party she had no interest in, but apparently the excuse "It's not even my album, I just produced it" wasn't valid and keeping up appearance was a must; at both the main and after event.

A glass of champagne sat at the table in front of her, untouched and losing its bubbles, as she watched the crowd of people converse in front of her; some faces familiar, others not so much; the buzzing of chatter faint under the bass of the music. Beca let out a sigh, reaching for the alcohol in front of her and knocking it back in one gulp.

She was on her feet, heading for the exit and texting her driver simultaneously and her mood lifting with each step closer to the door.

"Not a fan of the party?"

The stranger's voice sounded judgemental and irritated.

Beca's fingers stopped typing and her feet stilled, she really wasn't in the mood for this – almost four hours alone at an awards show and a party she cared very little about always made her snappy and short tempered.

"As a matter of fact, no, I'm not..." Beca was turning now, facing the owner of the voice, "...so, if you'd excuse me."

She should be turning back to face the door, should be making the last stride out of the building, but for a reason Beca couldn't quite understand, she was awaiting a reply. The redhead in front of her was wearing a white dress and a look that said "You don't belong here anyway." Her eyes were trained right on Beca, the blueness of them shining brightly in the almost dark venue, her intense stare making the music producer want to nervously pull at her not so present collar.

A couple of seconds passed; the awkward stare down continuing. There was a slight change in the other woman's expression; her eyebrows slowly lifting and the creases above the corners of her mouth appearing, a smile gradually peaking out, until it was taking over her face.

"Yeah, no, me neither. You don't happen to have a spare seat? It's just the crowds are forming out front and my driver is stuck in traffic."

Beca could sympathise with that.

If there was anything worse than attending a Hollywood party, it would be getting swarmed by the paparazzi upon leaving said party.

"Yeah, sure but I can't promise you we won't get stuck in traffic."

There was a nod and a quiet laugh, before Beca was leading them out of the door and onto the back alley. She quickly tapped send on her phone and stuffed it back into her back pocket. She looked at the stranger stood beside her, reaching into a clutch bag and retrieving a pack of cigarettes.

Beca kindly declined the offered box and watched as the redhead expertly flicked a light and illuminated the opposite end pressed between her lips. Despite not having smoked since high school, Beca couldn't help but think how this woman was making such a habit sexy as hell. The brunette's eyes were lingering far too long on her red painted lips, as she watched the smoke pour into the summer air.

Beca cleared her throat.

"So, I'm Beca."

"I know."

That response was new. Whenever she introduced herself at these types of events, Beca was usually met with a handshake and a smile, followed by a former introduction. There was always this unspoken agreement of fake pleasantries- despite already knowing names and the latest news story churning out of the rumour mill – that created the illusion that people in the public eye or 'celebrities' (Beca hated that term) had some sort of privacy.

Before she could form a reply, the redhead smiled, "I'm Chloe – don't worry, you don't have to pretend you know too."

Beca watched the flicked ash tumble onto the tarmac and noted Chloe's bitter laugh. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of curiosity, as well as the desire to brighten this woman's mood.

"You're a model, right?"

Her eyes followed the cigarette's journey from beside Chloe's waist, to past her shoulder and back at her lips. A quick intake of breath and the redhead was smiling, locking eyes with Beca before blowing the smoke from the corner of her lips.

"Yeah, something like that."

"I can see why."

It was a piss poor attempt at making her feel better and Beca isn't even sure why she said it, but Chloe was taking one last drag and stubbing the now discarded cigarette out with her shoe.

"I've heard that one before" she breathed, a smile on her face.

Beca thought it seemed sour.

"So does Beca Mitchell always attend these events alone?"

The DJ shrugged her shoulders, "I couldn't subject someone else to suffer this bullshit."

"So it is true! You are the moody artist everyone claims you to be."

Beca offered a small smile, "Guilty."

Although she had a feeling the Chloe she was speaking to right now wasn't usually this blunt, Beca could appreciate the dry and sarcastic sense of humour; it was actually quite refreshing.

The quiet laughter slowly passed and as if the other woman was able to read her thoughts, Chloe was running a hand through her hair and filling the silence.

"I'm sorry; I'm not usually this, mean?"

Beca shifted the weight on her feet, before smirking "Yeah, well I'm not usually this nice."

Before their conversation could progress - and much to Beca's horror - there was a limousine pulling up in front of them. Beca opened the door for an almost smiling Chloe.

 **XXX**

Beca wasn't quite sure how her night took this turn, but being drunk with a model in the back of a limousine wasn't on the cards earlier this evening, but that's not to says she wasn't having fun, because strangely, she was.

Whether it was the alcohol or not, Beca could tell Chloe had the same thoughts and feelings on the whole fame and celebrity thing.

Chloe became more talkative as time went on and Beca quickly learnt her first thoughts about her were right; there was so much more to her than the sarcasm and bluntness Beca had experienced outside the club. Although the redhead was keeping her cards close to her chest, Beca couldn't help but feel a need to know more.

So when the car stopped outside Chloe's apartment, Beca didn't decline her offer to come inside.

 **XXX**

The sun shining through the window caused Beca to stir. She opened her eyes to the drop of whiskey left in a glass by the bedside, and the dim red light of 9:18 on the alarm clock in front of her. Lifting her head off the pillow, Beca turned onto her back, the white sheet pulling on her chest. After a few seconds, the memories of last night came flooding back; the fumbling on the hallway, the taste of alcohol on her tongue, warm skin pressed against hers, clothes discarded, and wandering hands.

Chloe.

Beca quickly sat up, taking in her surroundings and the empty bed. The brunette began to get up in search of her clothes and the absent redhead.

She slowly wandered down the hallway cautiously and down the steps. Once in the living room, Beca couldn't help stop and take in the view of the city through the glass panels of the house. She remembers the view from last night, a flashback of pressing Chloe up against that very window the night before...

She shook her head, attempting to regain her focus. Beca made her way to the empty kitchen, spotting the large pile of magazines on the counter and a couple of dirty shot glasses around them. After flicking through the papers, she realised they all had one thing in common. Upon every front cover was a photo of the redhead accompanied with negative headlines. Beca let out a sigh, taking a seat. On her second inspection, she realised the shot glasses were still wet, causing her to look around the room once more.

There was an opened glass door to her left, which she failed to spot before. Beca made her way towards it, taking in the sight of a swimming pool and a few sun loungers dotted around it – it was then she saw Chloe.

"Hey" Beca spoke quietly, unsure of what to say or how to act.

The model in front of her was wearing a night shirt, sprawled out on a bed in the sun. There was a half wave and maybe the trace of a smile, but Beca couldn't be sure. She took a few steps further forward, closing the distance between them and awkwardly sitting down by Chloe's feet.

There was a strange silence.

Beca had no idea what to say.

She wanted to leave - call a friend, get a ride home and get herself out of this situation, but there was something about the defeated look on Chloe's face that made her feel she had to stay.

"Do you start every morning with shots?"

It was supposed to be a joke, but they both knew better.

"Five a day and all that" Chloe replied flatly, no hint of humour in her voice.

The first time Beca was in the media, she hated it. Fame was something she had never gotten use to, despite the three years she had now spent in the limelight. Once she was considered a celebrity, Beca couldn't live her life out in the open anymore; there were certain lengths she had to go to in order to keep certain aspects of it private. She stopped reading magazines, watching the news and Googling her name in order to keep her sanity. Looking at the A-list model Chloe Beale in front of her made Beca think she made the right decision.

Chloe sat up suddenly, folding her arms over her chest.

"I'm sorry."

Beca slowly shook her head, finally seeing the sadness in those blue eyes. "Don't be sorry, you didn't do anything you need to apologise for."

Chloe sighed, placing her hand atop of Beca's.

"I have. I've pulled you into my mess. People would have seen us leave together last night; it's only a matter of time before the press get word. I'm sorry."

Beca's mind wandered back to the magazines in the kitchen; "Chloe Beale in the middle of love triangle", "Beale spotted leaving nightclub drunk, again", "A-list model, Chloe Beale caught hooking up"; Beca offered her a soft smile.

"I don't regret it."

She's not sure why she said it, but she did mean it. Suddenly Beca understood why Chloe acted the way she did last night. The bitterness towards the party and the fame made sense now, but the personality she caught a glimpse of; the happy, upbeat and carefree Chloe that appeared once they were in the car and back at her apartment was the real her, but the negativity of the press and the fame weighed heavy on her shoulders. Beca cast her memory back to the way Chloe kissed her, the tight grip she held on her hand and the way the redhead melted in Beca's embrace at the end of the night.

Chloe just wanted to be seen as a person by someone and not the A-list model the rest of the world thought they knew.

Beca leaned forward, taking Chloe's face in her hands, their eyes locked on each others.

"Those magazines don't know shit, Chloe. Please don't let them make you think you have to apologise to me."

There was a smile. It was faint and barley there, but Beca saw it. She kissed her check softly and felt Chloe's hand squeeze hers.

There was a quiet whisper, "Thank you" and then an even quieter murmur, "please stay."

 **XXX**

 **A/N: Things got darker than I planned...**


	13. 13 - Hawaii

**A/N 1: Is there a boardwalk in Honolulu? I have no idea, so let's not get too caught up in specifics. When I read this back after I'd written it I couldn't help but see some similarities of the film, Forgetting Sarah Marshall – this wasn't my intention. Although it's a brilliant film, this story lacks puppets, Jason Segel and Mila Kunis. So if that's more the kind of thing you want to read, I'd suggest skipping this and just watching the DVD. Although I didn't base this story off that, now that I've mentioned it in the author's note, I've already set you up for disappointment – sorry.**

 **Hawaii**

Chloe was taking one last look at her appearance in the mirror, before grabbing her bag and making her way out of the door. She walked the hallway and pressed the button to call the elevator, patiently waiting for it to arrive.

She wasn't usually one to go on a holiday alone, but things back at home had forced her to end of her tether, so clicking 'book' and entering her card details for a bargain holiday for one in Hawaii was a no brainer.

Before Chloe knew it, she had walked through the hotel lobby, down the street and onto the boardwalk and en route to the familiar bar she had been visiting every night since she arrived. It wasn't a particularly fancy place; just a large wooden shack on the beach. The bar was plain and simple, with an array of different coloured fairy lights hung up on every surface and no more than ten tables settled under the wooden shelter.

There were many other bars in the area that probably looked more appealing, but it was cheap and cheerful and Chloe hadn't really been drinking there for its extensive list of cocktails anyway, it was more the staff; or a certain member of staff in particular.

Beca.

When Chloe landed at Honolulu airport a couple of nights ago, she went in the search of her hotel, before having a nap. Once she was awake and showered, she grabbed something to eat and set out to explore the island. After an hour or two of walking and taking in as much of the sights in the dark as she could, she stumbled across the bar on the beach, set away from the business of the boardwalk.

On first impressions, she thought the beach shack was cute and unusual and it wasn't until she ordered a drink that she concluded it was also very well priced. Then she got talking to the bar keep, Beca, and after one too many strawberry daiquiris she was slurring her words and stumbling in the sand.

Beca walked her home that night and ever since then Chloe can't seem to get the woman off her mind. She's not sure what they started talking about and she most definitely cannot remember the topic of their conversation on the walk back to the hotel, but she felt an undeniable connection she's never felt before.

That was Tuesday. It was now Friday and Chloe had become a regular customer, unable to stay away for longer than a few hours. If she was being honest, she had seen more of Beca than she had Hawaii and she was more than OK with that.

 **XXX**

 _Chloe walked the familiar path down the beach and stepped onto the wooden boards of the bar, glad to be out of the sun. The white cotton dress she was wearing was light and cool, but she was still thankful of the shade; the hangover she was nursing was succeeding at making itself known. The redhead made her way to the empty bar, pulling out a stool._

 _She peered up and down, her eyes on the lookout for the familiar brunette that helped her home the night before, but she came up empty. A quick scan out to the beach, watching the waves lap up on the shore, before casting a look to the tables behind her and seeing the short brunette placing laminated menus on each one._

 _Upon catching her eye, she couldn't help but quickly turn away, nervously picking at a napkin that was left on the side of the bar. She felt a sense of dread and regret, as the sound of the woman's footsteps grew louder, followed by her voice._

" _I didn't think I'd be seeing you here before lunch time."_

 _Chloe turned, watching as she made her way behind the bar. She grabbed a glass and held it under the tap of a cooler to her left, settling it in front of Chloe._

" _Water, for the hangover" she said with a smile._

 _Chloe couldn't help but let out a chuckle, bringing it to her lips._

" _Thanks" she said quietly. "Look, I just wanted to apologise for last night, I don't know what came over me."_

 _She wanted to say more, maybe explain why she allowed herself to get in such a drunken state, or perhaps ask for a reminder of her name, but the words wouldn't come out._

" _Save it, Red, I've dealt with a lot worse. Trust me, it's all good."_

 _She leaned on the wood top and offered her hand, "Beca..." she said with a smirk, "...because I'm pretty sure you don't remember."_

 _Chloe grinned, taking Beca's hand in hers._

" _I remember" she lied._

 _Beca raised an eyebrow, before shaking her head with a smile._

" _Nice to see you again, Chloe. How's the head?"_

 _She let go of the hand in hers in order to gesture to her own temple._

 _Chloe took another drink from the glass, before replying "Sore!"_

 _Beca gave her a knowing look and began topping up her water._

" _Thank you for walking me back to my hotel last night, Beca. I'm not sure if I would have made it back on my own."_

" _Well, you didn't really give me a choice, so..." Beca deadpanned, looking back at the confused woman before her._

" _Beca, I'm not saying you have to walk me back to my hotel, but seen as you got me drunk in the first place, I'm now your responsibility!" Beca spoke in a high pitched voice, slurring her words, attempting to impersonate Chloe._

" _Or something like that" she added in her normal voice._

 _Chloe looked at her horrified, mouth agape, internally cringing._

" _I'm so sorry, Beca, I swear I'm not usually-"_

 _The hysterical laughing cut her off, so she opted to take another drink of water in order to busy herself until the other woman sobered._

" _Honestly, Chlo, I'm just teasing. I mean that did happen, but seriously don't worry about it!"_

 _The shortening of her name took her by surprise, but Chloe liked the way it rolled of Beca's tongue._

" _Did I do anything else embarrassing I should be made aware of?" Chloe asked, placing her head in her hands and dreading the answer. She dared a glance at Beca through her fingers._

 _Beca grinned and slowly shook her head, "Nope, you tripped a few times on the beach and tried to kiss me, but that's about it."_

 _The brunette simply shrugged her shoulders and started to wipe the bar surface down with a cloth. Chloe's eyes grew wide, wanting the beach to swallow her up._

" _I tried to kiss- no, you're kidding, right?"_

" _Relax, I'm kidding" Beca dragged out the word relax, before letting out a laugh._

 _Chloe ran a hand through her hair and let out a deep sigh. "I'm kind of regretting coming back to apologise now" she said, with a smirk of her own._

" _Live and learn" she shrugged. "More water?"_

 _Chloe spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon in the same seat at the bar, talking with Beca. The more time she spent with her, Chloe was almost disappointed she didn't try and kiss her last night. Between serving other customers, Beca always hurried back to the spot across from her, refilling her glass of water and making her laugh. They shared long glances and small smiles between conversation which made Chloe's stomach flutter, but she tried not to think too much of it._

 **XXX**

Chloe arrived and took her usual seat. A man with sandy hair was working the bar and approached Chloe with the typical "what can I get you?" line of a barman. Chloe ordered her drink and looked down at her watch. Beca had said she would be starting later today, but it was already turned six, Chloe hoped she would be here soon.

She took the cold glass in her hand, looking out at the beach. The moment she told her best friend, Aubrey, she was going to Hawaii alone, the blonde woman had tried everything to talk her out of it, because "you can't run off to an island to escape your problems, Chlo." Turns out Aubrey was half wrong, she didn't escape her problems; no, she isn't naive, she knows they'll still be waiting for her in Atlanta; but this trip was doing a damn good job of helping her forget them.

She settled her eyes on the horizon; noting how far away it was and taking a sip of her drink, letting the alcohol warm her stomach. Chloe wished she could stay in Honolulu forever, but reality was a bitch. She had a cheating boyfriend to go home to and boy was she looking forward to that...

 **XXX**

 _Chloe was waiting in line for a coffee when she caught a glimpse of Tom crossing the street outside. It wasn't unusual for Tom to be out of work at lunch time, but she specifically remembered him saying he was meeting all day today. After being handed her coffee, she walked out of the store and looked at the tables and chairs lined outside a deli bar across the road._

 _Her eyes landed her boyfriend sat at a table, holding hands with a brunette over the table. She scrunched her face up in confusion, as she made her way over the road, unable to take her eyes off them. Just as she was almost on the curb, Tom leaned over the table and put his mouth on hers._

 _Chloe dropped her coffee and stopped dead in her tracks._

 _What the fuck?_

 _She's sure minutes passed until they broke apart. They began laughing loudly - Chloe didn't want to know nor cared about - bringing her out of her daze. She wanted to go over and ask her 'boyfriend' what the hell what was going on, but she didn't. Instead Chloe picked up the now empty coffee cup and dropped it in a trash can, before setting off in the opposite direction and back to work._

 _The redhead spent the rest of the afternoon in her office distracted and confused._

 _She didn't feel sad or upset._

 _At first she thought it was just shock._

 _She made her way home and saw Tom sat on the couch, playing video games. She knew she should have said something, but he was already on his feet, kissing her on the cheek and asking her about her day. Chloe fell into the usual routine and nightly conversation before going to bed, still unable to address the issue._

 _She woke up the next day and booked a plane ticket to Honolulu, along with a cheap package holiday at a swanky hotel with a dying need to get away for a week or so. It wasn't until she spoke to Aubrey that she realised how insane she was being._

 _She still wasn't upset._

 _Her and Tom had been together just over a year and she wasn't even sure she was in love with him when they moved in together six months ago. Seeing him with another woman should have made her feel upset, angry, or both, but she just felt relieved; like she finally had an excuse to end the relationship._

 _Aubrey tried to reason with her, but in the end Chloe packed her bags whilst Tom was at work and hid them in the cloak room. She spent the night as she normally would, making dinner and watching a movie on the sofa with her boyfriend. The fool didn't even realise most of her clothes had disappeared from their wardrobe before they went to sleep._

 _Then she just left in the early hours of the morning, ready to catch her flight; an attempt to ignore her problems and try to enjoy a change of scene._

 **XXX**

"Earth to Chloe?" Beca shouted, waving a hand in front of her face.

Chloe shook her thoughts away and smiled at the goofy grin on Beca's face, "Sorry, I was miles away."

Beca simply smiled an even bigger smile, "Drink?" she asked.

"Drink" Chloe repeated, pushing her glass closer to Beca's side of the bar.

The sandy haired man from earlier was making his way over to Beca as she poured a spirit into the glass.

"Hey, you're shift doesn't start until seven..."he looked down at his watch, "...you're, like, fifty minutes early!"

Beca shook her head, before topping up Chloe's glass with soda, "Well when my favourite customer is here, I'm here" she shrugged innocently, placing the vodka and coke in front of said favourite customer with a smirk.

"You're going to that party down the beach anyway, right?" she asked the man who was nodding his head. "Well then, get an early start. Don't worry; I've got the bar covered."

The man said his thanks and disappeared from the bar and down the beach.

Chloe narrowed her eyes at Beca, "Favourite customer, huh?" she asked playfully.

"Your tips pay my bills..." she shrugged, "...and the views not bad either."

Chloe really tried to control the massive grin on her face, but judging by Beca's reaction she failed.

"The ocean, obviously" Beca winked, before walking off to serve someone down the bottom end of the bar.

Chloe shook her head, before letting out a giggle. She looked back out at sea, taking in the beautiful scene, unable to argue with the other woman's point. She let out a content sigh, taking a sip of her second drink and watched Beca prepare a cocktail.

Over the last couple of days, the two women had gotten to know each other quite well; Beca talked about how she ended up in Hawaii and working at the bar, as well as an extensive conversation about music taste and her favoured alcoholic beverages. Chloe delved into topics such as her work, where she was from and her a cappella days in college, she made sure to leave Tom out of it though.

After a couple of hours, the fairy lights were illuminating the bar, as darkness had fallen over the beach. Beca was leaning against the bar with a smile on her face, watching Chloe animatedly tell a story from back in her college days. The redhead had had a more nagging desire to kiss Beca tonight and although she was getting caught up in her story telling, she couldn't help but imagine brushing her lips against Beca's under the green lights that hung around the bar. Beca changed her position, standing up straight and taking a sip of her "secret" vodka and Red Bull stashed under the bar.

Both of them smiled at each other at the end of Chloe's story and Beca was starting to untie her apron.

"Well, looks like I'm off the clock for tonight."

It seemed on cue, a woman was entering the oppisite side of the bar with a warm smile and nodding her head to Beca.

"This better be an emergency" she yelled, eyeing Beca suspiciously as she walked closer.

"A serious emergency!" Beca reassured, causing Chloe to feel a little alarmed. She looked at Beca for answers, until she was talking again.

"I want to take this one to the beach party" she said loudly, pointing at Chloe's drink, "So hurry up and finish that."

"Ah, I see. If you want to go on a date, it's me you text to finish the rest of your shift?" the other bar worker asked.

The mention of the word "date" and suddenly Chloe's drink was going down the wrong way, causing her to break into a not so elegant coughing fit.

"Well if my _date_ is still alive..." Beca deadpanned, immediately resting her hand atop of Chloe's flashing an "are you alright?" look. Chloe simply nodded and cleared her throat, scared that if she opened her mouth, a string of unknown words would fall out.

"Alright then, kids. Have fun!"

Beca was already out from behind the bar and pulling Chloe's chair out for her, steadying the redhead with a firm hand to the small of her back.

"Come on, Chlo, you can't be that drunk? I don't want a reply of the night we met" Beca teased.

Chloe simply smiled and walked over to the sand, feeling the grains already in the soles of her sandals. "Well come on then, don't tell me you've got cold feet?"

Beca laughed, before rushing over to her, "Nope, no cold feet here" and as if to prove her statement, she took Chloe's hand in hers and led her down the beach with a smile.

 **XXX**

 **A/N 2: If you didn't get the Forgetting Sarah Marshall vibe, I can say I did an average job in writing in this. Thanks for reading.**


	14. 14 - Exotic Dancer, Actually

**Prompt: "Chloe did have to become an exotic dancer but kept it a secret from all the Bella's but they found out at Cynthia Rose's Bachelorette party.**

 **Exotic Dancer, Actually**

"But why didn't you tell us?" Beca asked, "Or at least me?" she almost whispered, a hint of hurt in her voice.

Chloe was looking into her eyes, until Beca nervously readjusted her stare to the ground. The bass of the music was still vibrating under their feet and Beca couldn't help but note how even the cream painted walls in the small office looked just as cheap and dirty as the club outside.

"I didn't- It never came up..." Chloe mumbled, shrugging her shoulders.

"It never came up?" the brunette asked, before rising to her feet and repeating herself, "It never came up?!" she shouted. She began to pace the length of the desk, flailing her arms in the air, "Being a stripper never came up!" she yelled, a bitter laugh leaving her lips.

"Exotic dancer actually" Chloe corrected.

"Oh, like there's a difference?"

 **XXX**

 _Beca was sat in the back of the taxi sandwiched in between a rather drunk Stacie and an even more intoxicated Cynthia Rose. Despite Beca's protests and pleas for an early night, they were on their way to a strip club._

" _I don't see why I couldn't have just sat in the front" Beca sighed, eyes fixed on the bright 12:46am shining from the car stereo._

" _Beca quit complaining. It's Cynthia Rose's Bachelorette party!" Stacie reminded, "Besides we wanted to make sure you couldn't run off once the cab stopped at a red light" she added sarcastically._

 _Before Beca had a chance to retort, the car was coming to a halt and the lights of a club reflecting through the window. Once the three women had paid the fair and gotten out of the car, they were being joined by the rest of the Bella's from a taxi further up the street and she was being dragged to the door._

 _The other women were talking to a rather tall and stocky man on the door, as Beca couldn't help but wish she'd gone back to the hotel with Aubrey two hours ago. Ever since they had arrived early that afternoon, Beca had been paired with the once uptight blonde, because apparently "Bella captains stick together."_

 _A couple of years ago, sharing a hotel room with Aubrey would have been unbearable, but since burying the hatchet in their first year at Barden, the two had gotten closer over the past six years, making Chloe happy her two best friends were getting along._

 _Once Beca had heard the redhead couldn't make their extended weekend trip, she had considered not going either. In all honesty, the prospect of seeing Chloe was selfishly the only reason she agreed to go in the first place. Since graduating from Barden, both women had kept in contact, but with the distance and their hectic work schedules, it was difficult to maintain they the closeness of their friendship._

 _The tugging of her arm brought Beca back to the present, as Fat Amy was pulling her from the streetlights of the sidewalk to the florescent lighting of the club. The sound of the generic dance music filled the brunette's ears, as she followed the rest of the Bella's, weaving through a couple of tables and chairs on their way to the bar._

 _Beca quickly cast her eyes down, the sight of women in their underwear grinding on poles bringing a scarlet blush to her cheeks. She berated herself once more for not leaving with Aubrey and barked her drink order at the barely clothed woman behind the bar._

 _Pulling at the label on her second beer, Beca let out a sigh, keeping her eyes trained on the glass bottle in her hands. Turns out visiting a strip club was exactly what she had expected and it was just making her feel awkward and uncomfortable. She had been offered a couple of 'private dances' and much to the Bella's disappointment had declined on all three occasions. Beca was making the dreaded journey to the bar when something caught her eye; a pair of stilettos._

 _The black heeled shoes were mostly plain, apart from the many straps on the front and immediately reminded Beca of a pair Chloe use to own in college. It was strange, but even in another state, Beca would often find herself seeing or hearing something that would cause the redhead to pop into her mind. Beca refused to over think it though; she wasn't ready to address her feelings for her best friend, so she shook the thought away._

 _Due to a subconscious twinge of curiosity, Beca felt herself lifting her eyes for the first time since walking in and looked at the woman dancing on a podium a few rows behind from where she and the rest of the Bella's were sat. Beca stopped dead in her tracks, her mouth hung open, as she realised the woman dancing was in fact no one other than her best friend Chloe Beale._

 **XXX**

Chloe nervously rubbed the wrist Beca had grabbed and pulled her down from the stage with, unsure of what to say.

"Look, Beca, I think maybe you should just leave" she said quietly.

"Yeah, you and me both" Beca muttered, quickly seeing the flash of hurt in her best friend's face.

"No, I didn't mean it like that" she back peddled quickly. "What I meant was you should leave with me. You don't belong here, Chlo."

"Or out there where guys can drool- even touch you!" she added quickly, remembering the list of rules she was told when paying the cover charge at the booth by the entrance.

"You don't get to say that me. Apart from a text message once a week and a phone call here and there every month you don't know anything about me anymore" Chloe stated angrily, pulling Beca's leather jacket further around her shoulders.

The DJ stood there, her mouth opened to speak before she snapped it shut again and ran a hand through her hair.

"That's not fair."

"Yeah, well-"

"No, you know what?" Beca interrupted, "You can't blame us drifting apart just on me. I was always going to move to LA after Barden, you knew that from the beginning. I'm sorry I left Atlanta so quickly after graduation and I'm sorry you feel like you couldn't talk to me about this, but you're my best friend Chlo, I should be someone you know you can talk to when you become an..." she paused, using her fingers as air quotes "...an exotic dancer."

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest.

"Why?" Beca simply asked. "What happened to your teaching job at the school?"

 **XXX**

 _Chloe was scanning through the job section in the newspaper sat on the floor of her empty living room. Her mind wandered back to the couch that used to sit in the centre, along with the flat screen television and her coffee table, but now all she was left with was an empty room._

 _She let out a long sigh, before bringing her eyes back to the text in front of her. She couldn't let herself remember how her life had drastically changed in a matter of weeks. Being let off from her job as the choir teacher at the school was a big shock and something Chloe couldn't really fathom._

 _She could of, no should have argued the school's reasoning; "budget cuts" just wasn't a good enough excuse for an ambitious and hard working teacher like Chloe. Days passed as the redhead struggled to get a job at another school. It gradually turned into weeks and now she was looking for any kind of work she could get, but with the current economy, nowhere was hiring; and if they were, they consisted of long and unpaid trail periods or years of experience in waitressing that she didn't have._

 _She threw the newspaper down in frustration and tried to keep her tears at bay. How did life become so complicated in such a short space of time?_

 _Her phone buzzed, causing her to fish the device from her pocket. Chloe looked at the screen, a group message notification from Cynthia Rose. After a quick read of the paragraph, she let out another sigh before typing her reply._

 **Chloe Beale: Sorry, girls, I'm stuck at a work training thing both the Saturday and Sunday on that weekend. I hope you all have a great time and I'll see you at the wedding next month xx**

 _...If she still had an apartment next month, she thought to herself. It's not that she didn't want to go, she wanted to go to Cynthia Rose's Bachelorette party more than anything, but she just didn't have the money, nor did she feel like partying any time soon._

 _Her eyes wandered to an ad at the back of the newspaper now lying next to her foot:_

 _Exotic dancers wanted. Apply within._

 **XXX**

"Chloe?" Beca called, reminding the redhead she hadn't answered the question.

"I got laid off" she murmured.

Beca could hear the shame and sadness in her best friend's tone and see the defeated look in her face.

"They can't do that, can they? You're amazing at your job, why would they-"

"It happened, OK?" Chloe shouted, cutting Beca off, "And now I work here, because it's the only job I could get that pays as well as a teacher."

"Did you not apply for more teaching jobs?" Beca asked, slightly confused.

 _It was the wrong thing to say._

"Yes, of course I applied, Beca but no one was hiring..." Chloe's voice cracked, before she added "...No one wanted to hire _me_."

The tears that she had been trying to hold back from the moment she realised Beca was here - at her work; _watching her work_ \- were running down her cheeks and the sobs becoming difficult to control.

Before Beca could even think of something to say, she was instinctively closing the distance between them and wrapping the other woman in a tight hug. Seeing Chloe break down like this wasn't sitting well with her; Beca believed Chloe deserved the best of everything in life and to find out she wasn't getting that tugged at something in her chest.

"Hey, it's OK. I'm sorry I shouted. We'll figure it out" she said, feeling Chloe tightly hugging her back.

After a few minutes, Chloe was pulling away and wiping the tears away with her hands. Beca smiled a soft smile, before sitting down on the grungy sofa in the club's small and unimpressive office, motioning her friend to do the same.

"I don't want the Bella's to know, especially Aubrey" Chloe rushed out as she sat, a pleading look in her eyes. If the older woman was being honest, she was grateful Beca had spotted her first and how discreetly she had pulled Chloe away from the stage and demanded they talk some place quiet.

"Yeah, of course."

"I don't know what to do, Becs. I got the job a couple of weeks ago, I was only going to do it for a few days, you know? Just until something else turned up."

Chloe's voice was quiet, but desperate and Beca resisted the urge to pull her in for another hug.

"How about you come to LA for a bit? You can stay with me; help out at the studio, just until you get back on your feet?"

Chloe let out a sigh, momentarily closing her eyes. She took hold of Beca's hand before barely whispering, "You'd do that for me?"

Beca nodded with a sense of conviction and the trace of a smile on her lips before uttering, "I'd do anything for you, Chloe - you should know that by now."

 **XXX**

 **A/N 1 – I tried to make this the least angsty I could, however I feel like if Chloe did become a stripper, she'd be at least a little bit ashamed about it, rather than "Oh yeah, no biggie" you know?**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading and prompting.**


	15. 15 - The Morning After

**A/N 1: Fluff, fluff, shameless fucking fluff. I should be sorry, I'm not.**

 **The Morning After**

Beca refused to move from the spot she had indented in the mattress from last night's sleep. It was warm and comfy and much more appealing than the cold air outside of her cocoon. She rolled onto her side, throwing her arm over Chloe's waist and pulling her closer; closing her eyes at the familiar scent and soft skin leaning against hers.

There was no way she was leaving this bed now.

Chloe stirred slightly, pulling Beca's arm up towards hers and pressing the back of her hand to her lips.

"G'morning" Beca whispered sleepily into her ear.

There was a flutter in Chloe's stomach – a surge of both excitement and happiness. A smile taking over her face as she relished the thought of being able to wake up with Beca by her side for the rest of her life.

The redhead turned onto her back, still holding the hand in hers. She ran her finger over the newly placed ring on the left finger, her eyes watching the way it caught the pale morning light through the hotel window beside the bed. Chloe brought her eyes up to Beca's and softly kissed her lips with an even bigger smile than before.

"Good morning" she repeated lazily, as she settled her head back into her pillow.

"So, I don't know about other newlyweds, but I feel like we should spend _at least_ the entire day in this bed."

Beca was wearing that goofy grin she pulled whenever she was implying something more than just sleeping and Chloe couldn't help but laugh at her antics. Beca's eyebrows wiggled comically, as she rested her hand on Chloe's stomach.

"That would be the perfect plan, but I feel like you've forgotten about our agreed check-out time and that flight we have to catch later on?"

"Oh yeah, our Honeysun, Marmitemoon, or something?" Beca questioned, feigning confusion.

Chloe smiled and shook her head, "You're an idiot you know that?"

"Yep..." Beca rolled over onto her stomach, leaning over Chloe and quickly pecking her lips, whilst interlocking their fingers together with her left hand. The brunette lifted it up gently, and wiggled the gold band around her finger, "...and now you're stuck with me."

Chloe was just about to wrap an arm around her neck and close the distance, before Beca was throwing the duvet over Chloe's side of the bed and on her feet.

"We don't have to check out yet!" she whined, eyes following the naked form walking further away.

"God, is this how it's going to be?" Beca asked tugging a t-shirt off the nearby chair and shoving it over her head. "We've been married less than twenty-four hours and you're already keeping tabs on me?"

Chloe could feel the smile tugging on her lips, so she threw the sheet over her head in an attempt to hide her face from Beca.

Beca sighed at the lack of response, "Well after last night, I guess an annulment is out of the question?" she teased, pulling the covers from the bottom of the bed; Chloe's amused expression coming into view; and continuing her walk to the bathroom.

The redhead shot her a knowing smile, before firing off her retort, "I don't think you can annul what we did last night."

Beca laughed mischievously before pushing the door to _; God, being married to Chloe Beale was going to be fun._

 **XXX**

"The cab will be here in ten."

Beca was currently fighting with the zip on a grey suitcase, its contents busting out at the seams. When the couple were packing for their honeymoon, Chloe had stressed how important it was to travel light, so Beca couldn't help but laugh at the majority of her wife's clothes preventing the zip from closing.

Chloe came out of the bathroom, holding two white hotel towels and pulling at the bag, "Hey, wait, I need to put these in."

"Chlo, nothing else is fitting in there, never mind two to- wait, why have you got towels?"

The redhead undid the zip; along with all of Beca's previous hard work; and gave her a guilty look.

"They're nice towels, OK?"

"Please tell me I did not marry someone who steals hotel property. Why don't you grab the shampoo and conditioner whilst you're at it?" Beca replied sarcastically. "Come on, babe, we haven't got time for this. I gave you the ten minute warning two minutes and twenty seconds ago."

Chloe boldly pulled the zip once more and pushed the top of the suitcase up, raising a challenging eyebrow. Beca let out a quick "Right, that's it" and lunged at the woman in front of her, pinning her to the bed and pulling at one of the towels tightly gripped in her fist. Chloe couldn't help the laugh escaping her lips, causing her hold to falter and loosen, giving Beca a chance to pull it and throw it over her shoulder.

The other towel was quickly forgotten about, dropping to the floor, as Beca placed both of Chloe's hands above her head and brushed her lips against the redhead's neck.

"I thought we only had seven minutes and forty seconds until we had to leave?" Chloe mumbled, moving her head to give Beca better access.

"That sounds like a challenge" Beca hummed, her voice vibrating against Chloe's skin. A moment passed before Beca remembered the task in hand and finally got up, retrieving the items off the floor.

"Right, so what's so special about these towels?" she quizzed, inspecting them closely.

Chloe just shrugged, avoiding eye contact.

Beca ran her fingers over the cotton, tracing the etching at the bottom as a thought entered her head.

"Hold on, Mrs?" she asked, reading the embroidery properly and then searching the other one "And Mr?"

Beca smirked, her expression changing from confusion to slightly amused.

"Kinky" she breathed quietly, looking back at the not so entertained woman sat on the end of the bed. Beca's face softened, offering a comforting smile.

Chloe shrugged once more, her voice barley louder than a whisper, "Memories" she stated plainly.

Beca smiled and sat down on the bed. From the moment the pair met, Chloe had always been one to collect mementos; movie tickets and old Birthday cards, among other things used to fill her bedroom drawers back at the Bella's house, every item holding some sort of memory. Beca didn't understand it at first, the whole idea of it foreign and strange – it wasn't until they had been dating for a while that Beca truly understood it.

A month or so into their relationship, Beca was sat on Chloe's bed with one of the movie tickets in her hand, her eyes scanned over the writing once more, until realisation washed over her. She frantically dug her hand into the drawer by the side of the bed, reading a few more of the movie titles upon the tickets. She rubbed the paper in between her fingers, watching as Chloe tapped keys on her laptop at her desk, earphones in and back turned to Beca.

All the tickets Beca had read were movies they had gone to see together, even before they were dating. It was no secret both of them had feelings for one another way before they got together, but this new piece of information Beca had uncovered was causing her head to buzz. She grabbed one of the Birthday cards she had never bothered to open until now, seeing her own scribbled handwriting inside.

Taking Chloe's hand in her own, Beca turned to her wife on the end of the bed, "I get it" she said simply, placing the towels back on her knee. Chloe smiled softly, giving Beca's hand a small squeeze.

The smaller woman got to her feet and Chloe watched her dig into their suitcase. As the years went by, Chloe started collecting other things; from drunken photo booth snaps to coasters from bars they'd visited, so it was no surprise Beca kept something of her own from their wedding day.

"I knew you'd want something to remind you of yesterday, so I went ahead and kept this."

Beca handed Chloe the decorative piece that sat on top of their wedding cake. It wasn't fancy, nor was it romantic, but it was one of two things (the other being music, obviously) Beca was in charge of organising for their special day.

As soon as Chloe recognised it, she couldn't help but let out a loud giggle, because of course Beca would have kept it. The letters "Shit just got real" were made of wood, the 'o' in the shape of a ring. It was something Beca found online whilst frantically searching for a perfect something to top off the cake. The moment she found it, she didn't even think twice about clicking buy, knowing it would both surprise and amuse her then wife to be. On the day it received a lot of laughs and good natured headshakes and most of the guests suspecting Beca would be responsible.

"You kept it?" Chloe asked, surprised, a warm smile on her face.

"Yeah, I knew you'd want a reminder of our wedding day and this is miles better than a pair of generic Mr & Mrs towels."

Chloe laughed, before leaning closer, putting her lips on Beca's.

"Thank you."

"Come on, we've got, like, thirty seconds left before our ride is here."

 **XXX**

After a hurried check out and a fast paced taxi ride, the couple were all checked in at the airport and waiting to board their flight. Beca was almost led on two seats at their gate, whilst Chloe went off in search of travel adapters (Beca was supposed to put them in the suitcase before they left home...).

Chloe was stood in an unusually long queue for the time of night, travel adapters in hand and a certain brunette on her mind. She wasn't angry at Beca for forgetting one of their travel necessities; if Chloe was being honest, she's pretty sure she couldn't bring herself to get mad at Beca for at least another week, still riding on the high from the day before.

If Chloe was to think about it, her and Beca hardly ever got angry at each other; frustrated, maybe; annoyed, perhaps, but never angry. A relationship without an argument once in a while is what Chloe considered to be unhealthy, but looking back and their relationship had been nothing but healthy.

Their wedding day had been amazing. After a lot of stressful late nights and constant planning, their day was perfect, but Chloe has a feeling she could have gotten married in this very airport and it still be perfect, just as long as Beca was there. Chloe was brought out of her thoughts as the queue began moving forward and it was finally her turn to be served.

Beca was still led on the seat, her legs resting on Chloe's knee as she nursed her second cup of coffee. Chloe was busy in her thoughts, staring out the window and onto the planes waiting to use the runway. The younger woman opened her mouth about to ask about if she wanted a sip of coffee before Chloe was speaking first.

"When do you think we should have kids?"

Beca was thankful she hadn't just taken a swig of her drink, because she's pretty sure she would have sprayed Chloe's face with it. It was a simple question, one which Chloe really wanted the answer to and it wasn't like they weren't in a serious relationship.

The prospect of starting a family had been discussed before and Chloe always knew she wanted children one day, but it was always a _one day_ kind of thing, but the more serious their relationship got, Chloe realised her one day would be Beca's one day too.

The silence the redhead was met with wasn't exactly the response she wanted.

"I mean we've talked about it before?" she questioned, suddenly uncertain.

Beca smiled, sitting up and placing her feet back on the ground.

"Yeah, I just didn't think we were going to talk about it again right before our honeymoon."

Chloe edged a little further down her seat, closer to the window and away from Beca. It wasn't that she was fretting about her wife's response; she just felt a sudden hint of regret for bringing the topic up so quickly.

"Hey, I want kids, you know this. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, so of course I want little Chloe's running around, but we literally just got married yesterday – there's no rush, right?"

Just like that, Chloe was feeling reassured. Beca always said she was rubbish with words and articulating her feelings was difficult, but Chloe couldn't help but think how well Beca's words could put her at ease when she really needed it.

"No, no rush, we have plenty of time. I was just thinking how happy getting married to you has made me and I can't wait to feel what it's like bringing a baby into this world with you, you know?"

There was a playful smirk pulling at the corner of Beca's mouth and Chloe could spot it a mile off.

"You know we kind of can't actually "bring a baby into this world together". I mean we lack a certain body part-"

"Way to ruin the moment, Becs" Chloe deadpanned, with a small smile.

Beca wrapped her arm around Chloe's shoulders and pulled her into her side. Chloe instinctively grabbed her hand and squeezed it softly, before she felt Beca rest her head atop of hers.

"I love you and I want your babies, OK?" she whispered next to her ear, before kissing her temple. Chloe smiled and cuddled closer. "I don't think it really matters when it happens, because I know that we'll always be ready, but talking about it at the airport isn't the greatest place to have this conversation."

Chloe quietly hummed in agreement.

"However, we have ten days in Italy to relax, have sex, talk about kids and our amazing future, have sex..."

Chloe failed to stifle a laugh, before shaking out of Beca's arms.

"You've got a one track mind" she grinned. "It's a good job you lack a certain body part after all."

"Yeah, or else we'd be sat in an airport with our four kids, talking about when we should get married" Beca quipped.

Chloe chuckled before sinking back into Beca's embrace.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

 **XXX**

The seatbelt sign that had been illuminated for take-off finally disabled, an echo of buckles unlocking as it did so. Beca readjusted her arm that was stuck in a death grip, Chloe's arm (lovingly...) wrapped around hers and reached for the blanket beneath her seat.

Booking onto a night flight was Chloe's idea, because "that way we'll be able to sleep before we get there", but she forgot to take into account that Beca cannot just _sleep_ on an airplane, suspended thousands of feet in the air, with strangers surrounding her and uncomfortable seating was not the ideal place to just fall asleep for nine hours.

She threw the blanket over Chloe, before settling back in her seat.

"You know this flight would be so much better if you just tried to sleep, Becs."

Beca smiled, not having to look at her wife knowing her eyes would still be closed and the blanket would be pushed up to her chin.

"Well not all of us can just close our eyes and wake up once we land."

Chloe lifted her head from the brunette's shoulder, "I'll stay awake with you if you want?"

"You're kidding, right? We both know that as soon as you hear the engine you're dead to the world."

Beca felt a playful kick at the side of her leg, before Chloe was readjusting herself and sitting up straight, no longer leaning on Beca's arm and taking the blanket with her.

"Alright then, Mitchell, I'm going to stay awake the whole way and then we'll see who's right" she huffed.

An hour later, Chloe was back to leaning on Beca's shoulder, blanket wrapped around her and lightly snoring. Beca's attempts to help prove her point and send the other woman off to sleep began to work and after a few minutes of lightly rubbing soft circles on the inside of her arm, Chloe was out cold.

Beca spent a minute studying her wife's face, before resting her head on the back of her seat. She focussed on Chloe's breathing - even and calm – and closed her eyes. The events of the past two days running through her mind and one question burning a hole in her head; _how did I get so lucky?_

Meeting Chloe at Barden was nothing short of a miracle, she has no idea where she would be right now if she hadn't stumbled across her wife at the activities fair of Barden University. Beca felt a smile take over her face, as a flashback of their wedding ceremony entered her thoughts; yesterday was not only the best day, but the start of the rest of her life.

She gently ran her thumb over the hand in hers and let the lulling of Chloe's breathing carry her off to sleep.

 **XXX**

 **A/N 2: I thought I owed you guys something more upbeat and happier.**


	16. 16 - Swimming Pool Confessions

**A/N** **– A high school AU I wasn't going to write...**

 **(This is probably the most clichéd thing I've ever written and I'm kind of OK with it.)**

 **Swimming Pool Confessions**

Beca was staring into the reflecting lights on the pool water, the small circles being rubbed into the palm of her hand making her almost sleepy. She looked down at Chloe sprawled out on the sun lounger giving her a lazy smile, before resting her eyes back on the pool to watch their friends drunkenly splashing each other.

"Can we go to sleep now?" Chloe asked pulling the sleeve of Beca's top.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" Beca asked, allowing Chloe's tug to pull her down, so she was laying flat next to the redhead.

"No, I want to sleep here" she slurred into Beca's ear and hooked her arm around her waist.

Beca let her eyes droop, the familiarity and warmness of Chloe causing her to smile contently.

"Mm-hm. So let's sleep" Beca whispered, as she waited for her best friend to close her eyes before she did the same. Chloe's head was on her shoulder and she felt a tickling sensation as a kiss was pressed to her neck and she let the splashing lull her to sleep.

Beca woke up later, Chloe had turned onto her side, but her arm was trapped under her head. The brunette slowly removed it, trying her best not to stir her and sat up on the lounger. She spotted Stacie sat at the edge of the pool, dipping her legs in the water. She smiled and silently waved and Beca made her way over, perching on the end and sinking her legs into the pool too.

"What time is it?" she asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"I don't know, I left my phone at the party" Stacie replied. "But you haven't been asleep for long."

Beca smiled and muttered her thanks, "Hey, where did Jesse and Amy go?" she asked looking around.

Stacie laughed, moving her legs in the water "They passed out in the living room."

Beca turned her head to see through the patio doors and laughed at the sight of her two friends sleeping side by side on the floor with what seemed to be a piece of cake between them.

Beca gave a questioning look to Stacie, who just laughed and shrugged.

"So, when are you and Chloe going to start dating?"

Beca almost choked on her own breath, her eyes widening at Stacie.

"Come on, Becs, anyone can see it."

The two had been friends the moment Beca moved into the house next door to Chloe's when she was nine. Beca's Father had walked out and her Mother promised her daughter that a change of scene would help them both.

It did.

Although Beca is certain it was less the scene for her and more the redhead next door.

Chloe was the kindest person Beca had ever met and she can't really imagine life without her now she's had Chloe as a best friend for the last eight years.

"Stacie, she's my best friend" Beca stated.

"Yeah and best friend's don't dance like you two did tonight. And they most definitely do not sleep together like you just did on that sun lounger" Stacie teased, anticipating Beca's light punch to the arm.

"We're not- It isn't – I don't know" Beca stuttered quietly.

"I think you know and I think Chloe knows too" Stacie said, bumping their shoulders together with a smile.

"I don't know, Stace. Chloe has always been that way, even when I was nine" Beca stressed, shaking her head.

"Exactly! You guys have always supposed to be together."

Beca rolled her eyes, "You need to stop watching those sappy rom-coms, dude."

Stacie shot her a glare "Beca, if I ask you a question will you promise to answer it truthfully?"

Beca let out a sigh; "I've had enough beers to answer anything you ask truthfully" she deadpanned.

"Do you love- no! Are you _in love_ with Chloe Beale?"

Stacie watched Beca carefully, clocking the nervous finger tapping by the side of the pool and the lack of eye contact as she waited on her friend's reply.

"Well?" she pushed.

"If I answer it, you promise you'll never ask again?"

"Promise."

"Yeah, I'm in love with Chloe Beale. I probably was when I was nine, but I wasn't sure what love was back then. I don't think I've ever felt so much love for a person in my life before and I still don't know what to do about it."

Beca took a deep breath and stared back onto the water. This last year Beca had been attempting to ignore her feelings, because spending almost every waking hour with Chloe and not being able to kiss her was becoming unbearable.

Stacie patted her knee, before letting out a sigh of her own. "You need to do something about it, Becs, I think her response will be the one we all want for you both."

 **XXX**

It had been two days since Chloe had overheard Beca and Stacie's conversation by the pool and she was still unsure what to do about it.

It wasn't her intention to listen, she just woke up at the exact moment the pair said her full name; twice.

Beca walked Chloe home in the early hours of the morning like she did after every high school party, after all Beca had to walk past the Beale residence in order to get home, so it made sense. Chloe couldn't help but feel unusually aware of her movements. When she reached for Beca's hand she wondered if it was the right thing to do or not; when Beca rubbed her thumb along her knuckles Chloe couldn't contain the butterflies in her stomach.

The truth was Chloe had been in love with Beca since she was ten and the very moment they met - out on Beca's lawn as they shared Chloe's chocolate bar whilst the movers unpacked the van. Chloe had inkling she knew the extent of her feelings way before Beca. They had always had a close friendship, so hand holding and bed sharing wasn't a huge deal and although it probably didn't help keep Chloe's feelings at bay, it always felt right.

She kissed Beca goodnight on the cheek and watched her get to her front door safely from her pouch like she did every other night. Beca pulled the same goofy grin and waved before disappearing into the house.

Chloe spent the weekend stewing over her feelings and replying the last part of Beca and Stacie's conversation over and over in her mind. Fortunately for Chloe, Beca had spent her weekend out of town at her Dad's, making it easier for her to figure out what to do.

It was now Monday morning and Beca had driven them to school, complaining about her "awful" weekend was and asking Chloe what she had been up to. There was a flicker of worry on her face when Beca noticed how quite her best friend was being, but Chloe calmed her with a reassuring smile and the soft squeeze of her knee.

 **XXX**

They were on the way to second period when Chloe felt a sudden realisation wash over her. They had been talking about the time they skipped math class and smoked weed for the first time a couple of years ago. Chloe had ended up throwing up under the bleachers whilst the stoners looked on and laughed – never to this day has Chloe forgot the embarrassment she felt that afternoon, or has she forget the feeling in her chest when Beca made herself sick shortly after in order to make Chloe feel better and less singled out.

It was weird and probably unhealthy on Beca's part, but she did it for the best reason. They both laughed about it afterwards and Beca often brought it up, just like she did on their walk to class.

"I'd do it again exactly the same. I knew how bad you felt and I didn't want you to feel bad alone. You've always got me" Beca laughed, continuing to walk down the hall. Chloe abruptly stopped, tugging Beca's hand.

Chloe isn't sure why it was those exact words and that ridiculous trip down memory lane that caused her to say it then, but they did.

"I love you" she said, pulling Beca closer.

"Yeah and I think me sticking my fingers down my throat that day proved I love you too" Beca joked. She was about to step forward, but Chloe was gripping her arm and holding her in place.

Beca noticed the change in her best friend and felt concerned.

"Chl-"

"Beca, I heard you talking to Stacie on Friday night. I promise I wasn't eavesdropping, I just woke up and heard it."

The brunette looked at her confused at first but then she looked panicked.

"I was just-"

"No, don't lie to me. I know, OK? I've always known" her words were rushed but she finally felt a release being able to admit it.

"Ask me a question and I promise I'll answer it truthfully" Chloe pleaded, hoping Beca would muster up the courage to say it.

Beca sighed, recognising what Chloe wanted her to ask. She gulped back her fear and entertained the redhead in front of her.

"Are you _in love_ with Beca Mitchell?" she whispered.

Instead of answering, Chloe threw her arms around Beca's neck, pushing her lips against hers. The kiss was sloppy and untidy, but Chloe felt that kiss was the most honest thing she's ever felt in her life. She pulled away slowly, looking at her best friend stood in front of her in the empty corridor.

"I am so in love with you, Beca Mitchell and I have been from the moment we met."

Beca's expression was unreadable, but she had a tight grip on Chloe's waist; a firm grip that Chloe felt like she was never going to let go. Beca was lifting a hand to Chloe's face, gently brushing the hair out of her eyes with a dazed look on her face. She looked into Chloe's blue eyes for what felt like minutes with so much intensity that the redhead felt her eyes begin to sting.

It was that moment she knew Beca was trying to convey all her emotions in that look. The tear that trickled down her cheek, followed by the watery smile made Chloe's heart ooze with love and appreciation for the person in her arms; Beca Mitchell was so in love with Chloe Beale.

Beca leaned forward, firmly pressing her lips on Chloe's. The kiss was slow and passionate and tidier than their first. Beca was taking the lead, their mouths moving together in a familiar pattern, like they had done it a thousand times before.

"Today is literally the best day ever" Beca said quietly with a smile, gently rubbing her thumb over Chloe's bottom lip.

"I love you, Chlo."

 **XXX**


	17. 17 - The Mix

**The Mix**

Beca was already on her feet and making her way over to the bus doors before they had even come to a stop. It's safe to say sitting next to Fat Amy for a six hour drive had been exhausting; the constant but pointless chatter, the fidgeting and spontaneous singing – alright, maybe everyone on the bus was guilty of that one...

As soon as the doors opened, the DJ was already swiftly walking to the hotel lobby, itching to get a moment of peace before the Bellas filled in with their bags, bringing their arguments about who was sharing what room with whom from the bus.

Usually Beca would sit next to Chloe on a long drive, or at the breakfast table, or at the movies, or anywhere for that matter, but since last night the two haven't really been talking.

"I just don't get why you're being so persistent on this" Beca had asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Because I know that mix is awesome for Worlds. I already have an idea of chorography and vocal arrangements, Beca and I've heard it once."

Chloe was pacing the brunette's shared room with Amy, before she threw herself down next to Beca on the bed.

"Chloe, I don't want to use _that_ mix. Here, choose any other..." she reasoned, pushing her laptop towards her best friend's knee "...just not that one."

Chloe pushed the lid of the laptop down quickly, a long sigh escaping her lips. "I don't get why you're being so weird about this. Do you not want us to beat Das Sound Machine?"

"Yes. Of course I do. I want to win Worlds as much as you and we can, just without that song."

Chloe huffed, before getting to her feet and storming out of her room and down the stairs.

Beca played the memory through her mind as she took a seat on one of the sofas across from reception in the hotel lobby. She had created _the_ mix just before Spring Break of last year. All of the Bellas; including Chloe; and her roommate Kimmy Jin had left campus for the holiday to spend it at home with friends and family, but Beca found herself at Barden. She had just been given more responsibility on air at the radio station; even more than last year's spring break; and she knew there was no room for error – a radio station job during college would really help her out experience wise when she left for LA, so she wasn't about to screw this up.

That night, Beca had been finding herself thinking about a certain redhead and trying everything in her being to convince herself she wasn't missing her. Chloe had been particularly more tactful when saying goodbye and it had been running on the DJ's mind from the moment she left. So it's no wonder, four days into the holiday, Beca had been choosing songs to edit and mix that subconsciously reminded her of Chloe.

The moment she found two perfect songs (one of hers and the other Chloe's) she perfected a mix within the first hour of working on it. If Beca Mitchell was ever a perfectionist, it was when she was making music; the slightest thing off key or an imperfect progression change; Beca noticed. Usually an average mix took Beca a day to work on until she was one hundred percent happy with it – so sixty minutes was more than just quick.

It wasn't until her third playback of the finished product that she realised what that mix actually symbolised and how much it articulated these feelings inside of her that she wasn't completely aware of.

 _Shit._

Beca spent the rest of the night, wide awake and unable to sleep, Chloe Beale imprinted on her mind the entire time. She lost at least two hours of time and space as she ran through her and Chloe's then year long friendship, desperately trying to pinpoint the exact moment it happened.

It wasn't until the early morning light illuminated her window that Beca concluded all of her thoughts and was finally able to put a name to the unknown feeling that had been floating around her for the past few months. Her mix had been on repeat for five hours and each word and chord of the songs meshed together screamed the words at her until she was able to finally admit it out loud.

"I am in love with Chloe Beale" Beca whispered with a small smile.

God, _I am so, so in love with Chloe Beale._

The songs were personal and relevant to Beca in ways Chloe could never know, because if she did, the DJ would then have to not only properly address but confess the very serious romantic feelings she had for her best friend; _to her best friend,_ and that could never happen.

But Chloe wasn't letting this drop easily.

"I'm not talking to you until you either work the song into our performance or explain why you're so against using it."

Those words spoken before breakfast in the Bella kitchen had been whirling around Beca's mind the entire six hour journey, accompanied by the disappointment in the redhead's eyes when Beca didn't answer.

It wasn't that Beca was refusing to play her mix, she just really, really didn't want to.

Chloe had listened to it once, her ears pricking up at the sound of her favourite song being played through Beca's headphones whilst studying at the bottom of her bed. Beca can only describe her decision to let the person she was completely in love with listen to the song about the evaluation of her feelings was a moment of bold confidence.

A moment she quickly regretted, as Chloe gushed about how good it sounded and asked to hear it again. Beca was quickly teetering over the edge of visible fear, as she panicked if her best friend heard it again, she too would hear the words of the confession Beca spoke in the early hours of the morning last year.

Beca couldn't let that happen. If Chloe found out how deeply Beca loved her; in a non-platonic way; Chloe would be forced to end their friendship, because she couldn't possibly feel the same way. The brunette wouldn't allow Chloe to let everyone at World's hear her mix and she couldn't possibly tell her the reason why.

 **XXX**

"Can we talk now?" Beca asked shyly, eyes flickering from the screen in front of her to the redhead at the foot of her bed, unpacking.

The two captains had been paired to share a room as they usually were. Chloe didn't object and Beca didn't want to share with anyone else.

"Is your mix on our set list?" Chloe asked eyes fixed on her suitcase.

"No."

"Are you going to tell me why it isn't?"

Beca paused, before taking a deep breath, "no."

"Guess we're not going to speak then" Chloe replied simply, making her way to the bathroom with pyjama shorts and a tank tucked under her arm.

"Chloe?"

Beca was cut off by the slam of the door.

She closed the lid of her laptop and dramatically threw her back onto the mattress with a sigh.

The silence between them had been killing Beca all day, but it seemed from the moment they had been left alone together, the quiet had been slowly crushing her.

Throughout the entirety of their friendship the silence between them was always content and comfortable; this didn't quite have the same feeling to it to say the least.

The brunette couldn't help but try to keep her fear of losing Chloe at bay. Beca never thought she would do anything to jeopardise their friendship, other than coming clean about her feelings.

She was going to fix this, without losing her best friend and without admitting those three words she uttered more than twelve months ago. How, she was still figuring it out...

 **XXX**

Beca had been watching Chloe reading her worn out copy of Wuthering Heights for the past forty minutes. She watched the way the redhead hastily held a page in her hand, before quickly turning it over to read the next. Beca couldn't help but smile at this, knowing Chloe had literally read that book a hundred times already.

The older woman was clad in pyjama shorts and a tank top Beca was certain was hers. She was tapping her foot repeatedly; in no particular rhythm Beca noted; subtly highlighting the fact she was restless but didn't want to show it.

The DJ decided to break the silence.

"Chlo, this is getting ridiculous."

The taller woman didn't even lift her eyes from the text in front of her, which actually made Beca smile. Chloe Beale was a people person; someone that talked to anyone. She was a passionate and excitable person; if there was a conversation occurring, Beca would bet her bottom dollar Chloe would politely add her opinion and smoothly interject herself into the group. Chloe Beale was caring and considerate; ignoring people or their feelings was definitely not her style.

Although she really hated the silence between them, Beca couldn't help but feel proud of her best friend for sticking to her guns and going against every personality trait in her body in order to keep up her silent charade.

Beca let out a chuckle.

That got her attention.

But it was a fleeting moment and Chloe's eyes darted back to the book in her lap.

"I saw that" the brunette smiled.

Although there wasn't a response, Beca was sure she could see a flicker of recognition on her face; maybe even the traces of a potential smile pulling at her lips.

"You know when I think about books I touch my shelf" Beca said with the shrug of her shoulders.

She could see the corners of the redhead's mouth twitch.

If she knew one thing Chloe could not resist; it was a well articulated pun.

"What did one book say to the other?" she continued on.

Chloe looked up, attempting to give Beca a pointed stare.

"I just wanted to see if we were on the same page" she grinned, causing Chloe to break her facade and smile back at her.

They spent a couple of seconds looking at each other like that, until Beca was shuffling to the centre of her single bed and crossing her legs.

"Can you stop giving me the silent treatment now, please?"

Chloe closed her book and mirrored Beca's position on her own bed.

"OK, but you have to talk to me."

"I'm pretty sure that's not really something you can demand of me without being a hypocrite right now" Beca smirked.

Chloe simply gave her a warning glare before shaking her head.

"Becs, I mean it. I don't know what's up with you. We won't use your mix at Worlds, OK? But you need to tell me why."

Beca let out a groan before running a hand through her hair.

"Can we not just leave it at 'it's personal' and be done with it?" she asked hopefully, pulling at a loose thread on the duvet.

Chloe was then on her feet and setting herself down next to her best friend, stilling her hand.

"From the moment we met – although it took some serious effort on my part – you let me listen to all of your mixes; you burn them on a USB for me every month for god's sake. So why is it you only let me listen to it once?"

Chloe paused.

When Chloe first met Beca there was an array of walls and barriers that she had to work to get through in order to see a little bit more of the elusive Beca Mitchell. Getting to know her best friend had been both a strange and wonderful experience. Chloe was naturally open and forward by nature and usually her personality somehow rubbed off on those she was starting new relationships with – Beca, not so much.

Chloe felt like she worked for every piece of information Beca allowed her to have. She put so much effort and trust into their friendship that Beca finally felt comfortable enough to share her deep thoughts and feeling she wouldn't to someone else. The redhead wasn't complaining, their friendship meant more to her than Beca could ever understand and it was getting more and more difficult for Chloe to convince herself there weren't deeper feelings there.

But at this moment in time, she could feel Beca pulling away, sometimes Chloe forgot their personal differences; where Chloe saw room for negotiation, Beca was already dismissing it and moving on.

"You don't want it in the set. You told me that last night and I didn't listen. I should have just taken your first no as a final answer. Sometimes I think I can give you the pout and my puppy dog eyes and you'll do anything for me – that's wrong of me to ever think that and I'm sorry."

"Chlo, you don't need to apologise" Beca said with a soft smile. "Besides, it's kind of... like, totally true."

They both laughed.

It was true, the "pout" and the "puppy dog eyes" did weird things to her and Beca's resolve crumbled faster than Fat Amy could down a glass of her infamous punch (and that was _fast_ ). It wasn't Chloe being manipulative or pushy; the redhead was anything but; it was more something that stirred up a need in Beca's stomach – the need to make Chloe happy, because that's all Beca ever wanted her best friend to be. It was a kind of rewarding feeling the DJ could never explain, the power of knowing that she was responsible for making Chloe happy.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to tell me about the mix, but I need you to know that if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here" Chloe gave her shoulder a light shove, before she stretched out her arms.

"This is the part where we hug now" she added, engulfing Beca in her embrace, squeezing her tightly until she heard the shorter woman protest.

Eventually Chloe pulled back and finally realised her tight grip of Beca, who muttered her quick thanks and tried her very best to convince Chloe she did not enjoy the invading of personal space that just took place.

Chloe couldn't contain the wide smile on her face. There was something about Beca's "complaints" that warmed her heart. Beca enjoyed it as much as her; she just wasn't ready to admit it yet.

 **XXX**

After a movie and an already half eaten bag of chips from Beca's bag, Chloe had fallen asleep leaning on the younger woman's shoulder. Beca paused the ending credits, catching a glimpse of her best friend in the reflection of the black screen.

She willed every muscle in her arm not to trace the outline of Chloe's face and just watched her for a second. Chloe had been sleeping in Beca's bed a lot recently. It was a new development she wasn't objecting to; it was kind of nice actually – though she'd never admit it out loud.

The redhead began to stir causing Beca to quickly snap her laptop shut in panic and trained her eyes on the hotel wall art dead ahead.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep" she mumbled sleepily.

"It's alright. It's getting kind of late anyway" Beca replied gesturing to the alarm clock on draws between their beds.

"Yeah, you're right. We should get some sleep" she yawned, sitting up and moving off the bed.

Beca's heart sank little as she watched Chloe get into her own bed. Chloe flicked off the lamp and the sheet of darkness enveloped them, causing the DJ to shake that feeling away.

She settled further into the mattress, but after a couple of minutes Beca was turning onto her side and whispering Chloe's name.

"Are you awake?" she asked quietly, her eyes still closed.

"Yeah."

"Did you really like my mix?" she asked nervously.

There was a rustle of sheets and light footsteps. The moment Beca opened her eyes, Chloe was in front of her and gesturing her to move over. Beca did as she was told, as the redhead shuffled into the sheets next to her. The small confides of the single bed causing half of Chloe's body to rest atop of Beca's.

The brunette let out a shallow breath in an attempt to calm herself at the close contact before Chloe was answering her question.

"I love it. I think it's one of your best."

Beca smiled, believing her whole heartedly because Chloe was incapable of lying.

"I made it last year and it was always just my song. I'm not ready to share it with anyone yet" "So you weren't bullshitting when you said it was personal before?" Chloe asked.

"It made me realise something important when I needed it the most" she whispered.

Chloe sat up slightly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, not now but maybe one day soon" Beca smiled.

Chloe pressed a soft kiss to the corner of Beca's mouth and snuggled back under the duvet and closer to her best friend with a content sigh and a quiet "whenever you're ready, Becs."

Maybe Beca could tell Chloe she loves her.

Not now, but one day.

 **XXX**


	18. 18 - The Neighbour

**The Neighbour**

Beca was attempting to put her key in the lock whilst juggling her phone, a cup of coffee and a new issue of a music magazine. Eventually, she carelessly dropped the magazine and put her phone in between her teeth, finally turning the key. Internally, she jumped in the air with a celebratory fist pump and pushed her door open.

"Hey, Beca."

The new and unexpected voice startled her, the phone dropping onto the magazine and the coffee burning her at the sudden jolt of the cup in her hand. She turned to see her neighbour smiling standing by her own door.

Chloe had lived across the hallway for the past three months. As much as Beca didn't like speaking to anyone in her building, Chloe was very persistent on her constant hi's and small talk.

"Hey."

She tried to sound cool and collected, fighting off the urge to violently shake the burning liquid off her hand with a loud aggressive "fuck" and smiled naturally, well as naturally as she could; Beca wasn't one to smile.

"It's really hot out there" Chloe exclaimed, pointing at the hallway window.

It was that moment Beca realised what the redhead was wearing. Her hair was tied back, sheen of sweating coating her forehead and Beca's eyes shamefully roamed her figure in the tight yoga pants and tank top. The other woman was beginning to catch her line of sight if the smirk on her face was anything to go by. Beca quickly snapped out of her trance and remembered Chloe had in fact said something.

"Um, yeah. God job the landlord fixed your AC last week."

 _Good save, Mitchell._

"You remembered!"

Beca is pretty sure she'd never forget.

Chloe had knocked on her door late last Wednesday evening, wearing nothing but a small pair of pyjama shorts and a bra. Beca had opened the door to then instinctively slamming it shut out of decency and embarrassment – yep, mainly embarrassment.

"Beca, open up - I need your help."

The brunette lifted her head from the door at that, her mind instantly landing in the gutter.

 _Come on, this isn't porn. She's hardly needs your help with... that kind of thing._

Beca opened the door, a tight and nervous smile on her face.

"You don't happen to know anything about fixing an AC, do you?" Chloe asked, leaning on the door frame. It took Beca a few more seconds than it should have to answer, as she was suddenly hyper aware of the almost naked woman moving closer in to her and the apartment.

"Um, I-"

"God, your apartment is so cool!" Chloe interrupted walking straight in. "This feels so nice!"

Chloe was currently walking closer and closer to the air conditioning in Beca's kitchen, her arms outstretched and occasionally fanning herself.

"It is so hot in my place that I might actually die."

Beca was unsure of what to do – she had never had anyone invade her kitchen half dressed before on the pretence (hey, she can dream...) of a broken AC.

"Why don't I take a look at it and see if I can fix it?" she asked patiently instead of grabbing the other woman by the shoulders and forcing her out of her apartment. If Beca was being honest, there is another room she would also like to invite her, but she wasn't about to ask that.

"That'd be great, Beca. Thank you."

The turn of Chloe's key in her door brought Beca back to the present.

"Yeah, sorry I wasn't much help trying to fix it."

Chloe laughed before turning back to the DJ awkwardly scratching the back of her neck.

"Beca, I think you trying to 'fix it' were the reason I got a completely new system for free, so I should be thanking you."

"Well in that case, I guess you're welcome" Beca mumbled, picking up the magazine and her phone from the floor, making a special effort not to spill her coffee again.

Chloe chuckled before gesturing to her apartment, "Right. I guess I'll see you later."

"Yeah cool laters."

Beca quickly stepped over the threshold and shut her door, repeatedly banging her head against it.

 _Who the fuck says "laters" these days?_

 **XXX**

Chloe was coming back from a long day at work, putting the majority of her weight on the mirror in the elevator envisioning her couch she was going to collapse the moment she got home. The beeping signalling her floor brought her out of her daze and she rounded the corner.

Her eyes landed on the figure leaning on Beca's door; their posture was relaxed, almost sleepy looking and it suddenly slid down and slumped on the floor. As Chloe got closer, she realised the figure was in fact a very drunk looking Beca.

The brunette had her eyes closed, a pizza box tightly clutched under her arm and her phone blaring music quite loudly through the headphones attached to it that were resting wonkily on one of her ears. Chloe couldn't bite back her smile at Beca's adorable hiccupping and the goofy grin on her face.

"Beca?"

The DJ's eyes snapped open and she bolted up right.

"Huh?"

"Are you drunk?" Chloe asked smiling at the other woman's reaction.

Beca attempted to stumble to her feet, but failed before leaning back on the door.

"God, you don't miss a thing, do you?" her voice dripped with sarcasm. If it wasn't for her badly coordinated wink, Chloe would have thought Beca was annoyed.

"So why are you drunk at four thirty in the afternoon?"

Beca jumped up quickly, dropping the pizza box and grabbing the wire of her headphones to grasp her phone and stuffed in the back pocket of her jeans. Chloe couldn't quite help but note how close Beca's head was to hers, as the shorter woman pulled at the headphones and gently slipped them over Chloe's ears.

"Promotion at work" she said, bopping her nose softly.

Beca pressed the volume control button on the wire and the sound of Blur's "song 2" filtered through the head set. Beca was bobbing her head, a giant smile painted on her face, as if to say "Good song, right?"

Chloe couldn't help but beam back at her. She had always seen the other woman with a music magazine tucked under her arm or wearing headphones when she walked the hallway; if Chloe wasn't aware her neighbour was passionate about music this moment confirmed it.

Beca was still nodding her head and mindlessly tapping a beat to the song on Chloe's forearm. She couldn't help but note this was probably the most laid back and confident she had ever seen Beca – she liked it; it was actually kind of hot.

The music ended and before Chloe could recognise the guitar riffs starting another song, Beca was pulling them away as gently as she put them on.

"You looked like you needed a good song to brighten your day" Beca said, bending down to grab a slice of pizza. "Do you want some?" she asked, sliding back to her sitting position beside the paper box.

Chloe laughed, sliding down her own door and crossing her legs. She took a slice and both women toasted their slices of pizza. The music was still playing through the discarded headphones, loud enough that Chloe instantly recognised The Black Keys' "lonely boy".

"So congratulations on your promotion."

"Thanks, I'm actually really happy about it, but I feel that could be the vodka" Beca shrugged with a smirk, rubbing the crumbs off her fingers.

Chloe laughed, finishing the last of her pizza.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked, hiking a thumb over her shoulder. "I'm sure I have more vodka inside" she added.

Beca handed her the last piece of pizza and closed the box shut.

"Yeah, lead the way" she smiled, offering her hand to help Chloe up.

Chloe and Beca had been sat on the sofa in Chloe's apartment for so long it was now dark outside. Beca had made herself at home immediately in the corner of the sofa and kicking off her shoes, whilst Chloe went straight to her kitchen cupboard to retrieve the bottle of vodka and some soda.

That was at least seven vodkas ago and they had been talking non-stop. Chloe always thought Beca was interesting; the mysterious and slightly awkward vibe drew her in just as much as the brunette's looks, but getting to know her these past few months had been difficult.

The woman now sat comfortably on her couch, telling a story about a drunken one night stand seemed the complete opposite of the quiet and reserved Beca Chloe had been making small talk with on her hallway.

The redhead couldn't help but enjoy her company. Beca was funny and sarcastic and she had this weird ability to make Chloe feel special, even though she was dressed in her creased work clothes, a peanut butter stain on her blouse from lunch and she was more than probably slurring her words.

Beca was drinking vodka straight (which was sexy as hell) and still had her headphones playing around her neck and if Chloe listened carefully she could make out the song.

Their conversation came to natural pause and Chloe could feel the fingers belonging to Beca tapping on the back of the sofa above her head. It was then she realised how close she was sat and the way she had un-be-knowingly gravitated towards Beca.

"Hey, do you have some headphones?" Beca asked suddenly sitting up on the couch.

"Yeah, why?" Chloe asked narrowing her eyes.

"Go and get them, I've got an idea."

The glimmer in Beca's eye was the same one that appeared outside and Chloe was already on her feet making her way to her bedroom excitedly. The redhead ran back, eagerly jumping on the sofa with her headphones.

The DJ pulled a earphone splitter out of her pocket and plugged it into her phone, attaching both her and Chloe's headsets into the other side. Chloe watched as she tapped her phone for a few seconds and dropped it onto the cushion. Beca shuffled closer and placed the headphones over Chloe's ears with a smile and another gentle bop of the nose like she had done before.

Once the brunette's headphones were on her ears too, she pressed play and pulled Chloe up with her hands and mouthed the words "dance" before swaying her body.

After a few seconds Chloe noted the song choice; it wasn't exactly the up tempo song she was expecting, nor was it one she knew, but she liked it. Maybe it was the way Beca was looking at her, perhaps the way there were fingers suddenly laced together (how'd that happen?"), but Chloe did as she was instructed and danced in the living room of her apartment with a drunk Beca from across the hall.

 _God, this was random but actually really nice._

Beca was running a hand through her hair, before it dropped onto Chloe's waist. There was the hint of a mischievous smile and a look that said "is this alright?" The redhead placed her arms around the smaller woman's neck and leaned closer, resting her body against Beca's with a look that she hoped shouted "God, yes."

A few songs passed and neither of them changed position, despite a change in beat, Beca kept her hands pressed against Chloe's hips, occasionally rubbing her thumb under her shirt, sending shivers up her spine.

Chloe was getting caught up in the moment.

The perfect moment created by Beca.

She felt herself leaning in closer, until Beca was pulling away slowly and removing Chloe's headphones with tender fingers.

"Do you want to go out sometime?" she asked, shouting over the music still playing in her ears.

She smiled shyly, before removing them and waiting on Chloe's response.

She needed time to process this. The woman Chloe had a crush on from the moment she moved in was in her living room, slow dancing with her and asking her out. She needed a minute for her brain to catch up with reality.

Before she could gather her thoughts Beca was opening her mouth to speak again.

"I know I'm drunk and when I'm sober I probably come off as weird and awkward, but the truth is I've wanted to ask you out for a while, I just haven't really had the courage and I didn't think you liked me. But now we're kind of drunk and dancing in your apartment. You're giving me these intense feelings right now and I want to ask, because I feel now is the moment, you know?"

Beca was rambling, Chloe needed to say something to stop her, but instead she just stood there, her arms still resting on the shorter woman's shoulders.

"It's alright if you want to say no. I mean I come off awkward and weird because I actually am! Saying no is OK; I'll just up and move my life to another apartment building and pine over my old neighbour whilst she stays here, even though I was here first..."

Beca was smiling now, the sound of Chloe's giggle causing that glimmer to sparkle in her eyes once more.

"How about I say yes to the date offer and we can both live peacefully in the same building?" Chloe smirked.

 **XXX**


	19. 19 - The Perfect Fit

**The Perfect Fit**

"Hey _you_ asked for my help, remember?" Aubrey warned, turning on her heels to the next glass cabinet.

Beca took a deep breath following the blonde around the shop.

"I'm sorry" she mumbled quietly, eyes cast down.

"Sorry, what was that?" Aubrey asked smugly.

"Aubrey, is this really-"

"Do you want my help or not?"

"I said I'm sorry!" Beca shouted. "Happy now?" she whispered through gritted teeth.

"Not until we go for lunch and you pay" Aubrey said making her way to the door.

"In case it slipped your mind I actually want to buy a ring today" Beca reminded, attempting to cover her face when most people in the store stared at her outburst.

"C'mon, I'm hungry. There is nothing in here for Chloe; it's all too expensive and perfect. She likes jewellery with character. Now let's go" Aubrey stopped at the threshold, holding the door with a smug expression Beca detested.

After another short deep breath, she walked through the door with the shake of her head.

"I am not paying for your food."

"Yeah, we'll see."

 **XXX**

Aubrey watched Beca push the last of her food around on her plate with a folk whilst she sipped her drink. Beca spent the walk listing all of the reasons why she wasn't going to pay for lunch but it fell on deaf ears. Aubrey had a trump card - she always did - in the form of a redhead she had known since college and Beca's other half – one slight mention of the name "Chloe" and Beca was putty in her hands.

Eventually the woman in front of her pushed her plate away and slumped back into her chair with a sigh. Aubrey knew she should ask Beca if she was OK – mainly because of Chloe; alright, maybe she was Beca's trump card too – but the blonde had a feeling she already knew.

An unexpected phone call at her office was the reason for Aubrey's presence. Beca had called, rambling and failing at the art of small talk as she danced around a question she quite clearly wanted to ask. After Aubrey was finished toying with her, she demanded Beca spit it out "or get the hell off the phone."

"I'll pay for lunch" Beca interrupted her thoughts. "But only because Chloe would want me to" she added, a soft smile on her lips.

"And I should really object, for you to insist and then I pretend I really wanted to get it."

Beca smirked, before they both laughed.

Aubrey had grown to like Beca over the years. In her last year of college she really trusted Beca with the final Bella's performance at Lincoln Centre and since that moment the two began to tolerate each other. It wasn't until the brunette started dating her best friend in Beca's last year of college that Aubrey realised she would have to make more effort with the sarcastic and moody DJ.

Four years later and after many forced gatherings together, the pair had gotten closer. So close that Beca was trusting Aubrey to help her pick out an engagement ring for Chloe; Beca had stated she knew Chloe's taste in jewellery and they both had the same ring size, but Aubrey felt maybe Beca had asked her for another reason she wasn't ready to admit yet. If the morning of the younger woman's sighing and restlessness was anything to go by, Beca had something on her mind – Aubrey just hoped and prayed it wasn't doubt.

"Alright, are we ready to hit the shops?" Aubrey asked, pushing her chair out.

"Yeah, I'll go and take care of the check and meet you out front?"

"Great."

 **XXX**

Beca is sure she's over exaggerating, but she feels like they have been in every single jeweller's in the city and was still to find a ring that both she and Aubrey could agree on.

It wasn't that they hadn't found nice rings, because they had. Aubrey had tried on more than twenty that Beca had thought were perfect, but at the last minute she instantly changed her mind. This was Chloe's engagement ring and it had to 'the one', because that was what Chloe was to her, but she could see Aubrey was growing tired and Beca was slowly becoming less and less impatient as time went on.

The blonde was currently rubbing the diamond on her finger with her thumb under the counter lighting, searching Beca's eyes for any signs of approval.

"I think she'd like this one. It's not too flashy, yet not too understated. It's a nice fit" she said, flexing her fingers at the blank faced brunette.

Beca and Chloe had been dating for almost four years. Their relationship was the most important thing in Beca's life, above her job, their apartment, her record collection; Chloe was everything and more. She had never experienced that kind of love or happiness until she met the redhead at Barden. It was of the upmost importance this ring was everything Chloe had ever dreamed of, because in Beca's mind she more than deserved it.

The moment she realised she was ready to ask her girlfriend that infamous four word question everything seemed to fall into place in Beca's head. It was a bold and hard hitting realisation at a very insignificant thing, but 'when you know, you know.'

Chloe had been fixing something for dinner; an omelette seen as Beca had forgot to go to the grocery store after work. The redhead was wearing one of Beca's old plaid shirts, it had a hole in the sleeve and half of the buttons had fallen off over the years, but for some reason it was Chloe's favourite. There was a Salt-n-Pepa song playing in the background causing the older woman to sway her hips when cracking the eggs.

Beca was sat on a stool, watching her in awe, willing the woman's smile, her soft humming and the red hair resting on her shoulders to memory, happily welcoming the overwhelming sense of joy swimming inside her entire body at the sight in front of her.

Chloe looked up from her cooking and caught the younger woman's gaze; there was some much love in it that Beca's sure she just melted to pile of goo all over their kitchen floor. She couldn't help but beam back at her and take a second to think how lucky she was.

That was the perfect moment Beca Mitchell realised she wanted to marry Chloe Beale.

That was the defining moment she realised their imperfectly perfect relationship needed to last forever and Beca was going to ask the only question that would make that happen.

"Beca, do you want her to put it back" Aubrey chirped, pointing at the very patient sales assistant that had been helping them for the past two hours.

"Um, yeah" Beca muttered, reminding herself where she was.

"Do you want to come back tomorrow?" the blonde asked, looking down at her watch. "We've been at this for a while; maybe we just need tomorrow's outlook?"

Beca quickly shook her head.

"No, I've got a girlfriend at home who I really want to make my wife and I need a ring to do that" she smiled softly, tapping her fingers on the counter.

Aubrey nodded with a sigh, before venturing off to look for more potential Chloe approved engagement rings.

"Hey, Bec, what about this one?" she shouted, not bothering to take her eyes off the display cabinet.

"Beca, come here!" she yelled louder, waving her hand in the air until she blindly felt her friend's shoulder.

"Which-"

Beca stopped.

Aubrey didn't need to point it out. It was sat on the second shelf, four rings in, the light reflecting off the simple but elegant looking diamond atop of it.

"Excuse me can we have a look at that one please?" Aubrey called over to the assistant eagerly tapping her finger on the glass.

For the first time in hours, Beca felt a smile on her face. There was something about that ring that screamed Chloe Beale. If anyone asked her to explain why, she wouldn't be able to put into words; it just looked like something that should sit on her girlfriend's finger for the rest of her life.

Beca's smile was growing wider as the lady lifted it out of the cabinet. Her legs seemed to automatically move as she was hot on the sales assistant's heels, following the ring straight to the counter without taking her eyes off it and stumbling over Aubrey in the process.

"Try it on" she nudged impatiently at the blonde's arm.

Aubrey was handed the right size and slipped it around her ring finger, holding her hand up to Beca who was closely inspecting it.

"It's almost loose, which means it would be a perfect fit for Chloe" Aubrey said quietly, looking at Beca expectantly.

"Well, is it the one?" she asked, clicking her fingers in front of Beca's.

If the look on her face was anything to go by Aubrey was sure they had found a winner, but then Beca's smile faltered slightly.

"What is it now?"

"I just, I don't-" Beca stopped mid sentencing, running her finger along the price sticker on the velvet holder the ring had been sat in in order to busy her hands.

"Is it the price? Because I can spot you the cash if you want?" Aubrey asked confused.

"No, money isn't an object, it never was. I just want to make sure it's perfect, you know? I understand I'm not someone who pays much attention to detail; that's always been Chloe, but this ring has to be the best of the best" she said quietly, the insecurity echoing in her voice.

"Beca, you can always bring it back if you change your mind. Like, before you give it to Chloe, just give me a call and we'll spend another day looking."

Aubrey placed a comforting arm on her shoulder.

Beca softly smiled, "I want everything to be perfect when I ask because there is no one else that could deserve it more. So if she doesn't like the ring I've already undone all of my efforts to the build up of asking the question. Am I being ridiculous?" she asked with a quiet chuckle.

Aubrey laughed.

"A little."

Beca nervously ran a hand through her hair, letting go of the velvet ring holder in her hand.

"But I get it, Beca. It's actually quite sweet that you're taking every detail into account" she added with a smile.

The brunette nodded, before taking a deep breath "We'll take it."

 **XXX**

The ring box was tightly clutched in Beca's hand as she sat in the passenger's seat of Aubrey's car. The journey was silent, Aubrey noting it was better to give the younger girl some time to think. As they pulled up outside Chloe and Beca's apartment building the blonde flashed a reassuring smile.

"You're not having doubts, are you?"

Aubrey couldn't help it, she had to ask. From the moment they had got in the car Beca looked like she was trying to solve the world's toughest crossword. There was an anxious and worried expression etched on her face and it was making Aubrey nervous.

"About marrying Chloe?" Beca asked, checking the ring was in the box for the twentieth time since leaving the store.

"Because I swear to god, Beca if you're not sure about this you better return that ring and have a serious think about your future" Aubrey warned, her grip tightening on the steering wheel.

Aubrey knew how Beca was easily spooked, but she thought she had grown out of that by now. With Chloe's help and the stable relationship she was in, Beca had every reason to be happy. The commitment-phoeb-running-away-from-all-her-problems-Beca Mitchell was long gone, or so Aubrey thought; now she wasn't so sure.

"Aubrey, believe me when I say I have no doubt in my mind about asking that woman to marry me."

Beca's tone was confident and sure, it was also laced with the love and passion Chloe spoke about when they had 'girl talk' on a Saturday night.

"I'm just worried I'm going to mess this up" Beca almost whispered.

For the first time, Aubrey actually felt the urge to give her a hug, but she resisted.

"Beca, you don't need to be worried. You and Chloe are meant to be and I know when you first got together I wasn't the most supportive and I probably gave you a harder time than I should of, but Chloe loves you, so much."

She turned a little in her seat to look Beca in the eyes and square on.

"I thought Chlo was always happy. From the moment I met her she was always bubbly and upbeat, but I came to realise that happiness was just scratching the surface until she met you. So don't worry about making everything perfect, she'll love it whatever."

Beca smiled a genuine smile.

"I mean worry a little bit. You are proposing for god's sake" Aubrey added with a glare, causing Beca to laugh.

They both shared a smile, before Beca placed her hand on the door handle.

"Right, I guess I better get my ass inside, I wouldn't want to keep my fiancé to be waiting."

Aubrey excitedly clapped her hands, watching the younger woman get out of the car.

She suddenly had a worrying thought as she watched Beca walk away. She quickly wound her window down.

"Oi, hobbit, you're not proposing right now, are you?" she asked, panicked.

"No, Bree. I wasn't planning on right now" she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Thank god for that!"

She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright, well don't just stand there, go home, you weirdo!" she shouted as she rolled her window back up. Aubrey turned the key in the ignition, the light tap on the window catching her attention.

She rolled her eyes at the useless idiot and put her window down again.

"What now?" she groaned.

"Thanks, Aubrey. Honestly helping today, it meant a lot and I won't forget it" Beca smiled sincerely.

"You're welcome - We better part ways now, before this becomes a potential friendship moment."

Beca smiled, "God you're right" she looked down the road, before returning her gaze to the woman in the driver's seat "Well fuck off then."

"Fuck you, Mitchell!"

 **XXX**


	20. 20 - NYE

**A/N 1** **: Yes, it is July. Yes, Beca is working behind a bar again. Yes, I wasn't planning on writing this. OK, I'm going to go now.**

 **NYE**

Chloe had been sat at the bar all night and only moving to visit the restroom. Although the alcohol was cheap, a bar bustling with people wasn't exactly meeting her 'I want to be alone' mood. Chloe moved to New York for a teaching job last month and decided not to go home for Christmas break this year. It seemed like a good idea right up until Christmas Eve; the friends that she had made in the short time she had been here had coincidentally all gone home to spend the festivities with family.

So far Christmas had been quiet and Chloe had spent the majority of it in her apartment watching too much television and drinking unhealthy amounts of eggnog. Earlier this evening the redhead decided going out to a bar on New Year's Eve would be good for her, but now she was regretting it.

So camping out alone at the corner of the bar seemed appealing and at least she wasn't drinking eggnog anymore, right?

"Please can I have the same again?" she pointed down to her glass hoping that at least one of the bar staff heard her.

"Vodka and coke, right?"

"That's the one" she smiled.

The drink was set in front of her on a napkin.

"Not a fan of New Years?" the petite brunette behind the bar asked.

"Being alone at the holidays isn't all it's cracked up to be" Chloe replied before taking a swig of her drink. "But I guess it could be worse" she added with a shrug.

"Yep, you could be working a busy bar until 3am" she smirked.

Chloe laughed as she placed her glass back on the bar.

"Right, well I better get back to it" the brunette gestured to the line behind her and tapped her fingers on the bar surface before turning away.

 **XXX**

Chloe was on her fourth drink and the space around her was only getting busier. She looked at the time on her phone and contemplated ordering another drink. It was only ten past ten, perhaps counting down to midnight in the safe confides of her apartment was better than doing it alone here with an audience.

She drained her drink, before she slipped on her coat.

"Woah, Red, are you leaving?"

She stilled her movements before looking up at the owner of the voice. She shook her head with a grin at the woman behind the bar.

"Yeah, home seems like a wise idea right now" she said, getting to her feet.

"And here was me thinking you'd be keeping me company until three" she deadpanned. "Why don't you stay, I'll keep _you_ company?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'm just going to go."

The shorter woman grabbed her empty glass and started to refill it.

"Go where, back to an empty apartment? C'mon, hang around, you're the only pretty girl at the bar tonight" she shouted after her, hurrying down the bar to keep up with her.

Chloe stopped her movements at that, turning and giving her a questioning look, failing to contain the smile on her face.

Beca smirked back, "You can't go, you just got another drink."

She shrugged her shoulders innocently as Chloe walked back to her seat and removed her coat. She reached for her purse and pulled out a couple of bills.

"Don't worry about it, it's on me."

"My Mom always told me not to accept drinks off strangers."

The bar keep walked back to Chloe, before quickly wiping her hands at the cloth over her shoulder and leaned over the bar to offer her hand.

"Well I'm Beca. Guess it looks like we're not strangers anymore..." she paused, waiting for a response.

"Chloe" she chuckled, shaking her hand over the vodka and coke.

Beca smiled, "So, Chloe, where are you from?"

 **XXX**

It was nearing eleven o'clock and Beca had been true to her word. The brunette never left her spot in front of Chloe, waving customers off to other members of staff and giving them the finger if they argued. When Chloe questioned her, the brunette simply shrugged and informed her she was a "badass" - the redhead wasn't sure what to make of it, but she laughed anyway.

There was something about the charm and wit Chloe couldn't resist and if she was being honest from the moment the other woman called her back to the bar less than an hour ago Chloe had already decided she wasn't going home.

The vodka was going down smoothly, along with their conversation. It seemed Beca had a quick retort for everything and Chloe never missed a beat.

"So how long have you worked here?" the redhead asked.

"Too long, but being your own boss has its perks, you know?" Beca shrugged.

"Wait, you own the bar?"

"Well don't sound too surprised, will you?" Beca smirked.

Chloe was back peddling.

"No, I didn't mean like that! I just thought with you complaining about working and everything-"

"Chloe, I'm joking" Beca interrupted with a reassuring smile.

She relaxed.

"So how did owning a bar come about?"

"I used to sneak in her when I was in high school and one day it just closed down. There was talk it was going to get turned into an apartment and I just couldn't let that happen; too many memories, you know?"

Chloe hummed in agreement with a small smile and a swig of her drink.

"So I went to the bank, got a loan and the rest is history."

 **XXX**

Chloe should really stop drinking now. She's not wasted, but she can feel the alcohol starting to affect her. Every now and then Beca places her hand on her arm, or gives her a wink when serving a customer at the other end of the bar and Chloe is beginning to over think it. If she was sober, Chloe would be convincing herself the other woman was just being friendly but right now she's entertaining the thought of mutual attraction.

Before she can refuse, Beca is already walking back to her and refilling her glass.

 _OK, Chloe, just one more. After all it is New Years Eve._

Remembering the occasion, she checked her phone for the time; half past eleven. No more drinking after twelve she told herself, taking the drink and stating her thanks.

"Not long off midnight now" Beca mumbled, before bringing her glass of water to her lips.

"Yeah and only three and half hours left of your shift" Chloe reminded with a smile.

"Every cloud" Beca smirked.

They fell back into easy conversation, the thought of no more alcohol quickly moving to the back of Chloe's mind.

 **XXX**

"Oh shit!"

Chloe quickly sat up at Beca's outburst and watched the brunette comically duck under the bar. The drink in front of her was carefully moved to the side as she leaned over and gave Beca a confused look.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to hide, but you're kind of blowing my cover" Beca whisper shouted, bringing her knees up to her chest.

Chloe sat back down on her stool and pushed it closer, leaning over less discreetly this time.

"From who?"

"You see the blonde, red dress, standing next to the guy in the yellow beanie?"

The redhead scanned the bar and saw the pair matching Beca's description standing by the door.

"Yeah..." she said, noting the woman in question lock eyes with her for a second.

"Well we sort of hooked up a couple of weeks ago and now she won't leave me alone" Beca replied bitterly.

"She's pretty" Chloe thought aloud.

"Yeah and bat shit crazy. I think she might be stalking me!"

"Beca, don't you think you're being a little... Shit, she's coming over" Chloe hurried out, watching the woman steadily closing the distance between the door and the bar.

"Over here? She's coming over here now?!" Beca panicked.

Before Chloe could reply the blonde was standing next to her stool and following her line of sight.

"Beca, the ginger here basically gave you away with her lack of tact" the woman shouted, leaning over to see the brunette huddled in the corner, flashing Chloe a dirty look.

"Hi, Brooke, I didn't see you there" Beca replied sarcastically getting to her feet and brushing the dust off her black jeans.

"You said you'd call" she stated flatly, giving her a forced pout.

Chloe noted the trace of annoyance in her eyes.

"Yeah, I never said that" Beca deadpanned. "Let me just fix you a drink and we both go our separate ways and we each enjoy our New Year's" she reasoned.

Brooke took the drink Beca handed over and her fingers brushed Beca's and lingered for far too long.

"I'll see you at midnight" she winked, before returning to her friend in the beanie.

Beca blew the air from her cheeks and visibly relaxed.

"See, I wasn't making that stuff up!" Beca exclaimed at Chloe.

"She seemed... keen?" Chloe smirked, finishing the last drop of her drink.

"Keen? Keen?! She's been in here every night for two weeks" Beca almost shrieked.

Chloe laughed at her wide eyes before adding "OK, OK, she's a little bit stalkerish."

"Thank you" Beca breathed out, swatting Chloe's arm.

"So do you get a lot of stalkers then, Beca?" the redhead teased.

"I get my fair share" she shrugged nonchalantly, "I mean I am pretty great" she sighed.

Chloe couldn't help but laugh, watching the woman fix her another drink; she was beginning to lose count.

"I'm just nipping to the restroom quickly before midnight. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I missed out on watching yours and Brooke's midnight kiss" she mocked, sliding off her chair.

Beca shook her head with a smirk, "I'm totally tripling your tab at the end of the night" she joked, waving the redhead away.

 **XXX**

Once Chloe returned it was ten minutes to twelve. Chloe had managed to twist Beca's arm into accepting her offer of a drink and the shorter woman had made a joke about "liquoring her up." Chloe had waved it off, firing off a quick retort about being a hypocrite.

 **XXX**

"Alright, one minute until midnight!" Beca cheered. "Answer quickly; what's your New Year's resolution?" she slammed her hand on the bar for added affect.

"Um, spending next year back at home in Florida."

"Wow, Chloe, cut me deep" Beca clutched her chest dramatically.

The redhead gave her a glare, before breaking her facade with a giggle.

"What about you?" she asked excitedly.

"To escape Brooke in ten seconds!" she shouted, her voice fading over the very loud countdown it seemed the whole bar was participating in.

" **8...7..."**

Chloe spotted Brooke making her way over, the bright red dress catching the corner of her eye. She glanced at Beca quickly who had spotted her too.

" **6...5...4..."**

Brooke was less than a meter away, her steps growing wider as she fixed her eyes on a worried-looking Beca.

The brunette was quickly turning her attention back to Chloe.

" **3..."**

Chloe was moving her drink to the left of her for the second time that evening and leaning over the bar.

" **2...1..."**

She wrapped a hand around Beca's neck and pulled her closer, putting her lips on hers.

" **...Happy New Year!"**

Chloe felt Beca stiffen slightly, before she relaxed and tangled her fingers in her hair, pulling her closer. The applause and cheers of the bar were fading out, Brooke quickly becoming a distant memory, as Beca was deepening the kiss and working her lips over Chloe's.

The stool beneath her was rocking unsteadily bringing Chloe back to wherever Beca just took her and she pulled away slowly in favour of not falling over and taking the owner of the bar with her.

She settled back in her seat, waiting for the other woman to say something.

There was a pause.

 _Why did I drink those last two vodka and cokes?!_

"Wow" Beca breathed out with a smile. "That was unexpected."

Chloe was trying to think of some sort of explanation as she noted Beca making eye contact with a very angry looking Brooke behind her. The brunette turned, giving an over exaggerated shrug, her signature smirk in place.

She was turning back to Chloe and leaning over the bar closer to her.

"You're going to stay here until three, right?" she asked, interlocking her index finger with Chloe's and gently tugging it.

"Um, yeah" she stuttered out.

"Good, because I totally want to do that again at the end of my shift" she winked.

Chloe tried to bite back her smile before muttering a quick "OK."

Beca was walking away to serve, before she speedily turned around, "Wait, you're not a stalker are you?"

"I guess you'll have to wait and see" Chloe teased with a laugh.

 **XXX**

 **A/N 2:** **Oh wow, did they just kiss at midnight? God, how original of me...**


	21. 21 - Hawaii P2

**A/N 1:** **There was a few loose ends in the previous chapter, so I thought I'd tie them up, even though no one asked or requested I do so, but this my fic god damn it and I'll do what I please.**

 **Hawaii – Part 2**

Chloe opened her eyes, feeling the linen sheets following her as she rolled over the cold side of the bed. The sun was shining through the curtains she had forgotten to close the night before, illuminating the smile on her face as she remembered her evening with Beca.

Throwing the sheets back, Chloe was out of her bed and off to shower. She made a quick pit stop at her suitcase on her way, causing her heart to drop. Looking in the bag; full with more dirty clothes than clean ones was the only thing she needed to remind herself that today was her last in Hawaii. Suddenly her morning turned bittersweet.

 **XXX**

 _The orange glow of the bonfire was getting closer; Beca's thumb occasionally rubbing her wrist and the sea lapping on the shore._

 _Chloe was getting lost in the moment; lost in Hawaii; and lost in Beca._

" _Why are you being quiet? It's weird and unnatural."_

 _The sound of the voice made Chloe pull her eyes away from the ocean and on to a smirking Beca._

" _I guess I'm just reflecting on Hawaii" she smiled._

" _Right" Beca sighed, stopping mid-step and turning to the redhead "Tomorrow is your last day, right?"_

 _Chloe held her gaze for a moment, trying to ignore the fluttering in her chest; it was nice to know Beca had remembered._

" _Yeah, back to Atlanta" she replied, a sad smile on her face._

 _Beca was walking again, gently tugging Chloe's hand to do the same._

" _Best not to think about it" she mumbled quietly but still loud enough for Chloe to hear. The voices and music of the beach party engulfed them quickly and their moment passed._

 _The night was relaxed and simple, but Chloe couldn't deny the constant butterflies in her stomach for the majority of the evening. The way Beca's hand would find its way onto her thigh mid conversation or how she ensured she was comfortable sitting on the sand by handing her more blankets._

 _Chloe was getting lost, again._

 _At the end of the night Beca offered to walk the redhead back to the hotel; much like she had done the first night they met but this time Chloe was sober, which she was thankful for. She noticed things she probably wouldn't have before; things that caused more flutters in her chest._

 _When they arrived in the hotel lobby, Beca and her conversation quietened and a visible sense of nervousness came over her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Chloe had already started to talk._

" _Do you want to come up?"_

 _The question was laced with shyness and fear. Chloe knew what she was asking and the look in Beca's eye made her think she did too. There was a pause; long enough for Chloe to begin second guessing herself, before..._

" _Yeah."_

 _Beca scratched the back of her neck with a wonky smile on her face._

 _It made Chloe feel relaxed._

" _Good."_

 _She wished she didn't say it, but she did because it was good. The entire time Chloe had spent with Beca she felt at ease; like she could be herself and not have to worry about judgement or being liked. She made Chloe feel comfortable and happy – perhaps that was the missing ingredient between her and Tom and the reason she never fell in love with him, but she tried not to think anything of that._

 _Once they reached Chloe's door, the redhead was swiping her key card and pushing it open._

" _Wait" Beca was still standing in the corridor, her hand on Chloe's elbow._

" _I don't know if this is a good idea" she breathed out, a hint of something Chloe couldn't quite put her finger on in her voice._

" _Um, OK?"_

 _The redhead was looking at the woman in front of her and searching her eyes, trying to understand what she was saying. Her words and the hand sliding down her am and interlocking their fingers were saying two completely different things right now._

" _I just don't want to- I think I should go."_

 _Chloe was pulling her hand away now, trying to hide the hurt her eyes._

" _OK" she sighed with a forced smile._

 _Beca was reaching for her hand again, but the taller woman was pulling it away._

" _I want to" Beca whispered, looking at her feet. "I just think if we do this we'll make tomorrow twice as hard."_

 _Her voice was still quiet, but she looked up to Chloe and offered her a small smile. The look in her eyes seemed to say "I don't want you to leave" and she tried her hardest to communicate that same statement in return._

 _Beca's smile stretched by a fraction, before she was leaning in and placing a soft kiss to Chloe's cheek._

" _See you at the bar tomorrow?" she asked pulling away, rubbing a thumb over her wrist. Chloe isn't sure why that movement had such an effect on her, but it made her melt._

" _See you tomorrow" Chloe mumbled, watching the brunette walk further down the hallway and out of sight._

 **XXX**

Chloe made her way to the bar earlier than usual; she decided she was going to make the most of today rather than dwelling on the pending departure she wasn't prepared for.

"Hey, you're early. Did you come to apologise for your drunken behaviour again?"

The natural humour in Beca's voice instantly put a smile on Chloe's face. The return flight had been at the back of her mind this morning and she and Beca's interaction of the night before at the front. The redhead was worried she'd ruined something before it even had the chance to begin. The feelings she had for Beca had been overwhelming from the moment they met, but now over a week into knowing the brunette, Chloe felt a desire she wasn't quite sure how to address.

A desire she eventually did address; the night before. Beca's initial reaction caused Chloe's heart to sink, the hurt of being rejected settling in the form of tears at the bottom of her eyes. She didn't want their last day to be spoiled, but it seemed much like last night, Beca had the ability to put her at ease with very little words.

"Just shut up and make my drink" Chloe scolded playfully and pulled herself onto her usual bar stool.

"Someone's eager" Beca smirked, "I'm going to make you an orange juice because it's ten in the morning..." she reminded, pouring the orange liquid into a glass, "...and I'm almost certain you haven't eaten anything yet!" She placed it in front of the redhead.

Chloe paused and looked at Beca; like, really looked at her. It was the little things that made Chloe like the other woman more and more – walking her home drunk was the first but ensuring she wasn't drinking alcohol before eating probably wouldn't be the last.

Beca quirked an eyebrow, causing Chloe to snap out of her thoughts with a guilty smile and a faint blush on her cheeks; she prayed Beca wouldn't question her about it.

"Speaking off; I have ten minutes left of my shift and then I'm taking you out for the day."

"Becs, you just opened up" she laughed, unsure if this was a really bad timed joke - god, she really hoped it wasn't.

"I know. I've sorted it out with Nick – if I opened this morning, he'd work my shift for the rest of the day. C'mon, you honestly didn't think we were going to spend your last day in Hawaii at the bar you've visited every day since you got here?!" Beca asked, resting her hands on the bar surface.

The grin on her face was distracting and Chloe really wanted to shoot back some sort of sarcastic retort, but her mind drew a blank. Thankfully, a man strolled in with an apron and demanded Beca make him a drink before he started her shift.

 **XXX**

The pair enjoyed an early lunch in a small cafe that was "on the way to where we're heading." Despite numerous questions and a small amount of _almost_ begging, Chloe was yet to find out where in fact they were going.

"Look, it won't be a surprise if I tell you" Beca said plainly, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel in beat with the music on the radio.

Chloe turned her attention back to her window, taking in the dusty road and the trees surrounding them. Occasionally, the trees would fall away and the sea would come into view; the huge blue body of water - calm and quiet – visible over the ever ending cliff they seemed to be climbing up.

"Well can you at least tell me if we're almost there?" she reasoned, flicking through the radio stations on the truck's stereo.

Beca smirked, "You really are a child at heart, aren't you?" she teased.

"Maybe I just get excited easily."

"What, like last night?"

Chloe immediately stopped tuning the radio and sat upright in her seat, eyes cast back on her window. Her smile faltered slightly before it eventually disappeared. She didn't know what to say to that; it was unexpected and judging by Beca's tone it was supposed to be a joke. Chloe liked all of Beca's jokes, but she wasn't sure she liked that one.

The brunette was adjusting the volume of the music, turning it all the way down and placing her hand on Chloe's knee.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

Chloe let out a sigh, followed by a small smile, "It's OK, I know you didn't mean anything by it."

Beca was slowing down now and turning into a make shift lay by. She turned the engine off with the turn of her key and shifted in her seat so she was facing the redhead beside her.

"Do you want to talk about it? I feel like maybe we should" she asked shyly, pulling at the ripped hole in her shorts.

"I'm sorry; I just got carried away with everything. The beach, the party, you! I just wasn't thinking straight."

Chloe knew that was the truth; she did get carried away, but she's more than certain she was thinking straight the duration of the evening. It wasn't a total lie, but she couldn't push away the twinge of guilt in her stomach once she finished her sentence.

"You were" Beca mumbled, resting a hand on the wheel.

Chloe's look of confusion made the brunette speak again.

"You were thinking straight. I feel like I was too, right up until I left and walked away"

"Beca, I d-"

"Nope, we are not doing this now; just nope" Beca interrupted turning the engine over and pulling back onto the road.

"I have our day planned and this talk was supposed to happen later; after the hike and picnic; we are not doing this right now" she announced with finality, changing gears and putting her foot further down on the gas.

Chloe smiled. She could feel the sincerity in Beca's voice when she apologised and in her almost confession. The redhead had spent a lot of time wondering if Beca liked her back; despite the night before being an almost mixed signal, she feels after that small conversation, perhaps her thoughts have been confirmed. Hearing the words hike and picnic also made Chloe think Beca had gone out of her way to plan something, causing that all too familiar feeling in her chest to erupt whenever it came to Beca.

"Wait, a hike and picnic?" Chloe asked.

"Well at least now you have a clue" Beca grinned.

"Wait, road up a big hill, hiking, picnic; is there some sort of water where we're going?" she asked excitedly, throwing herself around in the seat to face Beca properly, a beaming smile on her face.

The brunette shrugged nonchalantly, "Maybe."

"Are we going to Monoa Falls?"

"Damn it, Beale!" she yelled, giving the older woman's shoulder a light shove.

Chloe giggled, frantically clapping her hands together. "I've always wanted to go!" she exclaimed.

The corner of Beca's mouth twitched upwards, keeping her eyes on the road she muttered a quiet "I know" causing Chloe's head to snap round.

"You know?" she questioned, puzzled.

"Yeah, you told me all about how much you wanted to see the waterfall the first night we met – not that you remember much of it that is" Beca teased, giving her a knowing look.

"Oh" was all Chloe could manage. At first she thought it was coincidence, but now she knew it wasn't, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering even more and the urge to kiss Beca the strongest it had ever been.

This was no longer just a day out; this was a date.

 **XXX**

Once they parked the car, Beca was leading Chloe through a trail in the forest, the sounds of birds and insects filling her ears and the nice cool breeze blowing through her hair. The path was a little muddy, rendering her beach sandals a bad choice of footwear, giving her a good excuse to hold Beca's hand the entire walk – it was nice.

The moment they reached the two hundred feet vertical drop of water, Chloe's breath hitched at the pure beauty of it. The way the sun glistened through the trees and reflected off the water fascinated her. Beca's hand was still in hers and she couldn't help but squeeze it; hoping Beca understood how much she appreciated her day out (date?) so far.

After a few minutes of standing there, more tourists began to gather, making their once quiet and personal moment now loud and busy.

"Come on, I've got a better spot" with that, Beca was pulling on Chloe's hand and leading her further away from the water and deeper into the forest.

"You know this place was used to film Jurassic Park and Lost?" Beca asked, placing her hand on the small of Chloe's back as she helped her up over the trunk of a collapsed tree.

"No, I didn't" Chloe replied, trying to focus more on Beca's words and less on her hands.

"Yeah, so be on the lookout for that giant tyrannosaurus" Beca mumbled, steadying Chloe on her hips.

After a short period of walking, the two women were standing in front of a blanket, with a picnic basket resting on it. The spot was secluded from the trail and once Chloe looked up she realised there was a clearing in the trees up above, allowing a stream of light to encircle the blanket.

"Ta-dah" Beca whispered with a smile.

"Beca this is- wow."

"Don't thank me yet, someone might have stumbled upon it before us and eaten the food" she joked.

Chloe stepped over and took a seat, watching as Beca checked the picnic basket. "Alright, all set. I've got some wine – I was going to make you your usual cocktail, but Nick came early for all the stuff."

"So, that's why you opened up the bar?" Chloe asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, I have to work all four of his shifts next week in return though" she deadpanned, unscrewing the cap off the bottle.

"You didn't have to do that."

"Yeah, well I wanted to."

Chloe couldn't seem to shift the deep appreciation she was feeling right now and unsure of what to do with it. If she was being honest with herself, the redhead wanted to see how Beca's lips felt on her own, but instead she settled on a hug. Their position made it awkward and impractical, but Chloe still felt Beca's arm snake around her waist in return; she swiftly pulled away, unable to predict her actions if she didn't.

The pair fell into easy conversation – as always – and Chloe felt like Beca was opening up more. The slight guard she had felt when they conversed at the bar was slowly disarming and answers to Chloe's questioned were less generally and more detailed. This coupled with Beca gently playing with her fingers on the blanket was enough to make Chloe wish she never had to leave Hawaii; never had to leave Beca.

The time seemed to pass ten times as quickly as it did sat at the bar and it wasn't until Beca commented on it that the day was almost over, the last of the dim evening light disappearing rather quickly. Chloe felt a sinking feeling; disappointed they had to leave. She reluctantly got to her feet and began clearing away the picnic and grabbing the basket.

"Woah, hold on, the date isn't over yet" Beca warned, settling her hand on Chloe's that was holding the picnic basket.

The confirmation of the word date caused Chloe's heart to stop, in fact she almost let go of the handle; Beca's affirmation catching her off guard. The younger woman began walking down the trail they had ventured up a few hours before, turning to signal Chloe to follow.

 **XXX**

By the time they both got back to the waterfall it was dark and completely free of tourists.

"Should we be hanging around here in the dark?" Chloe asked, her eyes scanning the area.

"We're fine. We just need some light to deter wild life" Beca assured, sparking her lighter and lighting the stick candles that were planted around the waterfall.

"Did Nick put these here as well?" Chloe asked.

Beca laughed, noting Chloe's smirk in the candle light, "Would it earn me extra brownie points?" she asked, snapping the top of the lighter closed.

"Maybe" Chloe shrugged, attempting to hide her smile.

"Well, too bad. They have night tours up here a couple of times a week, so I'm afraid these candles were conveniently already here."

Beca motioned for Chloe to sit on one of the rocks and began removing her shoes in order to dip her feet in the water. The redhead watched, before doing the same, quickly dipping her feet into the cool water, letting it clean away the mud in between her toes; she seriously regretted wearing her sandals.

A comfortable silence fell over them for a few minutes, the sound of the water calming Chloe's mind.

"We should talk about last night now" Beca whispered.

"OK" Chloe smiled.

"I'm sorry I was a jerk" Beca sighed.

"You weren't."

"I should have stayed in the lobby."

Chloe wasn't sure what to say to that. It seemed over the last twenty four hours, Beca had been giving her some serious mixed signals and she wasn't sure how to respond.

"I think we both knew what you were asking when you invited me to your room" she continued, kicking her feet lightly in the water, "I wanted to go through with it but I just had this voice in my head telling me it was a bad idea. I didn't want to be a one night stand to you."

Chloe knitted her eyebrows together and reached for Beca's arm, "You'd never be a one night stand to me, Beca. I'm not really sure what it is, but I've had these feelings for you that I'm certain I've never had for anyone else" her voice was a little shaky towards the end. She hadn't anticipated admitting that, but it was something in the other woman's eyes that seemed to draw it out of her.

"I feel them too."

Beca locked her eyes on Chloe's before looking away and returning with a mischievous smile.

"Do you want to go for a swim?" she asked, head bobbing towards the water.

"But there is a danger sign?" she replied.

"Yeah for a landslide that happened more than ten years ago. C'mon, Beale, where's your adventure gone?" she encouraged, a smirk settling on her lips.

Chloe grinned, quickly standing up on the rock and pulling her top over her head. She rested her hands on the button of her shorts and noticed where Beca's eyes were.

"Hey, are you going to get undressed or just watch me all night?" Chloe challenged.

"I mean I wouldn't object to watching you..." Beca retorted, sliding off the rock and into the water, "...but I actually didn't mean skinny dipping."

Chloe stilled her movements, the once smug smile disappearing being replaced with embarrassment.

"Please, continue" Beca smiled, walking backwards further into the water, her eyes never leaving the figure in front of her.

"Perv" Chloe whispered, attempting to keep her blush from becoming too visible.

She made her own way into the water, clad in shorts and her bra and followed Beca, feeling the cold of the water reaching her waist.

Beca let out an amused chuckle, completely unprepared for the wave of water Chloe pushed onto her face. The redhead couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles; the surprised look accompanied by the quick wipe of her eyes making it difficult to stop. In return there was a splash of water colliding unexpectedly with the her face and silencing her amusement.

Chloe was striving closer to Beca, moving nearer at a rapid speed and eventually reaching her with another accidental splash; the slope of the rocks underwater catching her off guard and causing her to fall straight into the brunette.

They both fumbled for a few seconds, regaining their balance. Chloe was painfully aware of the hands that were on her hips; hands that were positioned firmly, showing no signs of moving anytime soon. Both women maintained eye contact and Beca's eyes flickered to her lips when Chloe subconsciously placed her hands on the smaller woman's shoulders.

The distance between them was closing and Beca gently placed a hand on Chloe's cheek, the sound of the slight splash in the water no longer audible and the redhead anticipated the feel of Beca's lips. The movement was slow; causing Chloe to let out an inaudible moan as Beca's lips gently touched hers.

Chloe pulled away quickly and removed her arms. The ripples in the water similar to the ripples of fleeting desire in her heart.

"I can't" she whispered to a confused Beca.

"I'm sorry, I just-" she stopped herself, trying to get a handle on her emotions. The unshed tears were stinging her eyes and her throat growing dry, unable to finish her sentence without letting them go. Thoughts of Tom and her life in Atlanta resurfacing, forcing the guilt she had been trying to forget.

It wasn't guilt for her 'boyfriend' at home, but guilt for the woman in front of her. A strong and crippling amount of it coursing through her veins, how could she have led someone as sincere as Beca on without once thinking of the consequences?

"You can't? Can't what?" Beca asked unsure, maintaining the new distance between them.

"Is there a landslide I don't know about?" she asked, pointing to the top of the waterfall, a forced smile on her face - Beca's signature smirk loosing its confidence and warmth.

"A boyfriend. There is a boyfriend you don't know about."

Chloe's voice was quiet and scared. She kept her eyes trained on the visible rocks in the water, unable to muster the courage to look at Beca, until Beca was moving closer.

"I don't understand. You were the one that asked me upstairs last night. The one that came to the bar every day of her holiday. The one that never told me she had a fucking boyfriend."

Beca's words were rushed and frantic; the last sentence bitter and angry, causing a tear to slip down Chloe's cheek.

"It wasn't like that, I promise" she choked out.

Beca was walking past Chloe and throwing herself down defeated on the rock they were previously sat on. Chloe felt more tears fall as Beca lifted her knees in order to stand up, but instead brought them to her chest and cast her eyes on Chloe.

"I should go" she stated flatly. "Drive you back to the hotel and forget about you."

Chloe was making her way over, and sitting next to her, ensuring to keep a healthy distance between them.

"I'm sorry" Chloe whispered, wiping her tears away. "I should have told you, I'm so sorry."

"So this boyfriend is in Atlanta?"

The word boyfriend was spat bitterly.

"Yeah, but he- I'm not really with him."

"Chloe, just give me a straight answer. You owe me that at least, right?" she asked, a trace of hurt in her voice.

"I don't love him. I've never been in love with him. I've felt more for you here than I ever have for him."

Her words were true and honest; she hoped the sincerity was heard.

"Yeah, but you're in a relationship-"

"He cheated on me!" Chloe interrupted, turning to face the brunette beside her.

"And this with me was your revenge, was it? A way to get him back?" Beca challenged with the shake of her head.

"No, no, I left him. I booked this holiday to get away from everything and I left Tom and our relationship for good."

"So is he your boyfriend or not, Chloe because you're telling me one thing and then another."

"I have yet to tell him" she mumbled, looking down at the water. "He doesn't know we're over yet, but we are. We have been long before I saw him kissing someone else on his lunch break."

Beca's expression softened. Her hand reached over to Chloe's shoulders and she shuffled closer, pulling the redhead into her side.

"So you were single the moment you got here, this Tom guy just doesn't know it yet?"

Chloe let out a deep breath and leaned into Beca's touch "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me that before we did this? On the first night, the second night, last night? Why couldn't you just have been open with me from the start?"

Beca's voice was desperate and pleading.

"I wanted to get away. I got lost in you."

Chloe was pulling away from the embrace, instantly feeling the coldness. Beca held out her hand and pulled the redhead to her feet in silence.

"Come on; let's get back to the car."

Even though Beca was mad or disappointed or both, Chloe noticed how the brunette still picked up her shoes and placed them in front of her feet, making it easier for her to slip them on.

 **XXX**

The car ride back to the hotel was silent - no conversation shared, just the towel led out on the car seats. Beca turned off the engine and stepped onto the hotel car park, making her way to the passenger side to open Chloe's door.

When they were both out of the car, Chloe was pulling Beca closer, gripping at her still wet t-shirt and guiding the shorter woman's hands around her waist. It was a desperate attempt for affection, but Chloe knew this was the end; she just wanted to feel close to her one last time before she flew home the next morning, never to see her again.

After a couple of moments, the redhead no longer needed to hold Beca's hands in place, as they squeezed her hips tightly and pulled her closer to her body. Chloe could feel the hot breath on her neck, and hear the words "we could have been something special" whispered in her ear.

Eventually they pulled away and Beca seemed to make a split decision, as she put her mouth on Chloe's. Her lips were soft and attentive and the kiss was rushed, but passionate. The redhead couldn't help but shudder once she felt the familiar feeling of a thumb circling her wrist, or stop the sharp intake of breath as she was unexpectedly pushed against the car door.

Chloe gave in. She finally let the desire for Beca wash over her and allowed her mind to be cleared of everything other than the moment between them; no flight, no Tom, no Hawaii, nothing; just Beca's lips and tongue colliding with her own. The kiss was better than Chloe could have ever imagined and even though the events leading up to it wasn't what she wanted, she was thankful for it.

Because maybe if it hadn't been, the kiss would have been less hungry and wistful.

After an unknown amount of the time, the two pulled away and Beca's grip became even tighter around her waist.

"I don't want you to go" she whispered over Chloe's lips, their foreheads resting together.

"You don't deserve the way I've treated you."

"But I still want you."

Early the next morning, Chloe boarded her plane to Atlanta, replaying her last moments with Beca over and over again. It was because of Beca she felt a strong need to go back home and tell Tom the truth and end their year long relationship.

"Don't be a stranger."

Beca's words were running through her mind.

"I can't not see you again."

Chloe settled into her aisle seat on the plane with a smile. Beca had unknowingly helped Chloe find her way again, but it was something more than that; Beca had showed Chloe what love felt like. That thought alone made her smile, because she was coming back to Hawaii as soon as she could, she was no longer flying home now, she was just leaving.

 **XXX**

 **A/N 2 –** **My previous author's note may or may not have been a little too aggressive...?**

 **A/N 3 –** **Not every story can have a fairytale ending.**


	22. 22 - Mathematical

**Prompt: "Chloe is a junior in college Beca is a senior in high school and needs a tutor in Math."**

 **Mathematical**

"And you said you didn't want to come" Jesse smirked, his smug expression etched into his face.

It was true; Beca didn't want to come, at all. Most seniors in high school would jump at the opportunity to attend a college party but Beca wasn't most high school seniors - unlike Jesse, who had literally begged they go the moment Beca shared the information of her invite.

"Yeah, well that was then" she mumbled into her cup, taking a long sip and rolling her eyes.

Towards the end of sophomore year, Beca was getting invites left right and centre to parties. The development took her by surprise; Beca wasn't in any kind of clique nor was she considered popular, but yet every weekend, there was a jock or a cheerleader asking her to "come and hang out."

Attending a house, full of random people drinking cheap beer and listening to generic mainstream music wasn't exactly her idea of fun, but Jesse had a different opinion. If Beca was invited, Jesse was automatically granted permission to come along and he lived for the weekend; lived for the social acceptance that came with the invite.

It wasn't until the start of her last year that Beca attended every weekend for the full duration of the night and until the early hours, but that was primarily to DJ. As soon as she accidentally left a couple of mixes on a school computer, the tracks quickly filtered around the school, causing the desire for her to DJ a party every weekend to sky rocket. Beca couldn't complain; DJing every weekend gave her much needed experience and the money to buy the expensive equipment her Dad refused to help her with.

So when she was asked to DJ a college party at Barden University for double the amount of money she was usually paid, she brushed it off. The college campus was across town and Beca had been recently on a roll with her mixes; inspiration grabbing her by the wrist and not allowing her to shut the laptop lid until it was finished.

"Yeah, well..." Jesse dragged the words out and throwing her own back at her with a knowing grin "...If you hadn't of listened to me you wouldn't have met her" he pointed at the redhead currently dancing in a crowd, her blue eyes seeking out only Beca's with a knowing look on her face.

Beca couldn't help the smile breaking out as she locked eyes with the girl she'd been talking to all night, completely ignoring Jesse's "told you so" speech.

"Whatever, dude."

She waved him off with her hand and grabbed the second cup off the table making her way back over to the dance floor in a speedily fashion.

"You're not going are you?" she asked over the loud music, her lips ghosting Beca's ear. She tried to disguise the shudder down her spine, but failed.

"No way" she shouted, pulling back and handing over the drink. "Why, would you miss me?"

Beca wasn't normally this relaxed, nor was she bold or flirty but combined with the alcohol and the redhead in front of her Beca had suddenly found a new lease of confidence.

Once Jesse had literally dragged her out of her room and to the car Beca finally felt defeated and gave up objecting.

"One condition; we go as soon as I finish my set and get my money."

The words were ringing in her head the moment she spotted Chloe dancing carelessly on her fourth mix in. There was something about the way the redhead moved that caught her eye; like she was the only person on the dance floor. At first Beca assumed it was a feeling of empathy stirring up inside of her, but once she saw Chloe in the bright lights, talking and laughing with her friends, Beca instantly knew it was something more.

After making eyes at each other during her set, Beca downed a beer and boldly made her way over with one thing on her mind; she needed to talk to this stranger, even if it was just for a few seconds, there was a vibe about her that Beca wanted to be engulfed in – her previous condition moving to the back of her mind.

""I think you'd miss me more" Chloe shot back with a seductive wink, moving her body closer to Beca's and swaying to the music. The way her arms rested on her shoulders and the light brush of hips against hers, Beca knew she was a goner and was most definitely not going home soon.

She chanced a glance to her left, in an attempt to spot her best friend. Jesse was talking to a laughing blonde, slowly but surely dancing closer to her. She smiled and turned her focus back to Chloe.

 _Yeah Jesse isn't going home anytime soon either._

Time and space seemed to disappear, her only knowledge of time passing measured in form of songs. Six tracks later and a few more beers, Chloe was growing more tactful, leaving lingering touches on Beca's arm and reaching for her hand every moment they moved to refill their cups. Beca was talking freely, saying whatever came to mind; even if it was a cheesy pick up line – but it made Chloe laugh and she's sure she would use all the pickup lines in the world to hear that sound more often.

The redhead tugged on Beca's hand, leading her out of the front door and onto an empty sofa sitting on the lawn. The noise of the music faded away and the minute Beca sat down she was completely aware of the buzzing in her ears, along with Chloe's hand resting on her thigh.

"So what are you studying?" she asked, giving the jean clad leg under her hand a gentle squeeze.

 _Shit._

"You've made me realise tonight I'm studying the wrong subject" Beca smirked, the words dripping from her lips without permission.

Following Chloe's confused expression, "I should be studying you tonight and tomorrow" she added, internally cringing and concealing her personal berating.

"OK, that was bad, but weirdly sexy at the same time" Chloe laughed, a slight slur to her speech.

Beca fumbled with her words before changing the subject and turning to face the redhead next to her, "So what do you study?"

"English literature..." Chloe cooed, shuffling closer and resting her leg on Beca's thigh, "...but I could study you, if you want?" she asked, reaching to cup the brunette's cheek and pulling her face closer to hers.

Beca could see the lust in Chloe's eyes before they fluttered shut, Beca's hand finding its way on to Chloe's thigh and leaning in closer.

Their lips brushed gently until Chloe pulled back ever so slightly; a teasing smile on her face; causing Beca to close the rest of the distance and firmly plant her lips on the ones she so desperately wanted to taste.

Maybe it was the alcohol, perhaps it was the fresh air but from the second they fused their mouths together Beca felt light headed and dazed; as if she was halfway between being awake and almost asleep just before that jolt of the imagination that snaps the mind back to reality. In this case, her metaphorical jolt was the tongue swiping along her bottom lip.

Beca complied immediately, tasting the cheap beer she thought she hated so much on Chloe's breath; now she's sure it's her favourite thing in the world. The kiss was fierce and heated, the redhead pulling at Beca's plaid shirt attempting to pull her closer and Beca's hand running up and down the thigh still resting on her knee. The wolf whistle and 'titanium' song in the background went unheard, as the pair concentrated solely on the rhythmic movements of their mouths, a perfectly synchronised giving and taking that felt almost familiar – like they'd done it a thousand times before.

Once Chloe was on her lap, the night became a blur. The pull of the hand and the journey up the stairs were vaguely remembered, but Beca became completely lost in the feeling of the perfect girl she had met a few hours prior and every second of their night together was nothing short of amazing.

 **XXX**

Beca was sat in the corner of her math class, her eyes fixed on the tree outside the window, her mind entirely somewhere else. The morning sunlight shining on red hair; the feeling of warm bed sheets covering her torso; the sight of bright blue eyes looking onto hers as Beca softly ran her thumb over Chloe's cheek with a dopey smile on her face.

"Shit, I need to go!"

The words from her flashback ringing along with the school bell bringing her out of her daydream. She had woken in Chloe's bed earlier that morning, her mind on nothing but the naked woman beaming back at her.

She had quickly sprung to her feet, collected her clothes and gotten dress, all under Chloe's gaze. Beca paused for a moment, making her way back over to the bed and pressing a soft but sure kiss to Chloe's lips.

"This isn't just a college hook-up, is it?" Chloe had asked with a hint of uncertainty or insecurity; Beca's not sure – but the word 'college' shattering her daze and causing the guilt to swim at the pit of her stomach.

"No of course not" she replied hurriedly.

It wasn't a lie, the night before meant more to Beca than just a 'hook-up', in fact it's probably the most intense feelings of emotions she's ever had with someone intimately – not that she has much experience to fall back on – but Beca wasn't about to just brush it off or give it up.

"Can I call you?" Beca asked, perching on the side of the bed, looking at everything in the room apart from Chloe. The movement between the sheets caused Beca to look up, watching the other woman reach for her phone on the night stand with a grin.

The voice of her math teacher brought Beca back to the present, causing her to stop shy of the classroom door with the roll of her eyes and turn around.

"Beca, sit down. We need to talk about your grade."

Beca didn't spend much time on her school work – it didn't seem important.

She didn't spend too much time worrying about it either – music was where her only current and future interests lied.

Beca made her way to sit at the front desk, collapsing in the chair overdramatically.

"This isn't a joke, your grade is lacking and you're dangerously close to failing this class. So, I've set you up with a math tutor twice a week after school starting today."

Beca groaned loudly.

"What? You can't do that, I'm not even failing yet!" Beca argued.

Miss Thomson was one of the few teachers that seemed to understand Beca; unlike other teachers it seemed she didn't force Beca to participate, but encouraged her to get involved – it used to work. If Beca's being honest, this year she's put all of her focus and effort into her mixes, because LA is literally just around the corner.

"I can and I am. I've already called your Father and he agrees with my judgement."

Beca could tell by the finality in her voice that this was going to happen; whether she liked it or not.

"I-No, I can't, I have to work on my music every day after school" she pleaded.

"The quicker you accept this and attend, the quicker you can get back to working on your music."

Beca stood up abruptly, shaking her head with a bitter laugh.

"I mean it; I want your grade up to a C for at least two weeks before I consider you're up to speed."

It seemed arguing wasn't going to change anything, causing Beca to storm out of the classroom. She reached her locker, slamming her hand on it angrily and resting her forehead on the cold metal.

"OK, so someone is moodier than usual."

The voice next to her ear made Beca lift her head up quickly and turn to rest her back on her locker, shooting Jesse a pointed stare.

"Don't" she said, holding the palm of her hand in front of his face in attempt to silence him.

"Come on, Becs, what is it this time, upset you haven't got a date for prom yet?"

"Jesse, please stop talking."

Noticing the look on his best friend's face, Jesse stopped smirking and stood up straight.

"Are you OK?" he asked, a little concerned.

Beca turned to open her locker and began pulling textbooks out for her next period.

"You mean apart from the fact that I'm being forced to math tuition after school today? Oh no, I'm fine and dandy" she said through gritted teeth and pulling at the books more violently.

"Wow, rough."

"Not helping, dude"

"Yeah, sorry. Hey, maybe it's a good idea - I know you're in a hurry to get to LA but you actually have to graduate first" Jesse reminded.

Beca knew he was right, but she wasn't about to admit that. Jesse had always been a huge supporter of her music but he had a point; her Dad had promised he would help her move to LA if she graduated high school first. Uprooting her life from Atlanta to LA alone was hard enough at any age; never mind eighteen, but she was dead set on making it work.

"I mean before you go and be this big talented music producer" Jesse added, clutching at the straps of his backpacker and rocking on his feet with a smug smile.

Beca shook her head, trying to prevent the smile pulling at the corner of her lips from showing.

"Hey, so how did it go with the redhead last night?" Jesse asked excitedly lightly slapping her arm like a gossip hungry fourteen year old girl.

"Fine" she uttered, a smile tugging at her lips.

"You got laid, didn't you?" he asked loudly, almost bouncing on his feet.

"Dude, shut up" she warned, pulling him closer to the lockers and looking around anxiously in case anyone overheard.

"C'mon, Becs, why the secrecy?" he teased, until his facial expression quickly changed, "Wait, did you strike out?" he asked worriedly.

Before he could ramble, Beca was glaring at him, "No, that's not- come on, did you really think I'd- look she thinks I'm in college, OK?"

Jesse's lips turned into an o shape.

"Yeah" Beca stated flatly.

 **XXX**

The bell rang out for the end of the day.

Beca started packing up her things and making her way to the other side of the school building dodging the afternoon rush of bustling students with her headphones securely resting on her ears. Once she was in the math classroom, the brunette threw herself down on the nearest chair, letting out a deep sigh.

Mrs Thomson was nowhere in sight, causing the very little patience Beca had with this whole tuition thing to dissipate.

Beca's eyes flickered up to the clock, on a typical Friday afternoon she would be in her car and on the drive home by now, but no, apparently math was more important than her music. OK, so maybe in hindsight her education was more important, but that didn't stop the brunette from internally complaining at her current situation.

She let her mind wander back to last night and earlier this morning. Chloe had never be too far from her mind today; the sudden thought of the redhead causing butterflies to erupt in her stomach and a goofy grin plaster itself onto her face. The urge to text Chloe had been growing stronger as the day went on, but Beca was in two minds.

She didn't want to lie to her and if she maintained communication, surely her age and her level of education would eventually come up in conversation, but at the same time she knew she had to see her again. Chloe made her feel things; things she couldn't ignore. Beca had already sensed her resolve crumbling at lunch, it was only a matter of time before she finally caved and eagerly found Chloe's number in her phone.

Just as she was about to do exactly that a figure at the door caught her attention; the familiar red hair and blue eyes that had been imprinted on her mind the majority of the day finally in front of her in the flesh.

Beca panicked, unsure of her next course of action. Slide down her chair and hope she couldn't be seen or pretend to be a teacher were a few of the stupid ideas that sprung to her mind in the short seconds it took Chloe to look up; the undeniable flicker of recognition in her eyes.

"Beca?" she asked confused, stopping dead in her tracks. There was the trace of a smile, before she pieced the puzzle together.

"Chloe, what are you doing here?" her voice was small; the forced surprised tone painfully obvious.

"I tutor sometimes."

The redhead's words were almost mumbled, until she furrowed her eyebrows. There was a look of something in her eyes Beca couldn't quite read, but it was safe to say the jig was up.

"I thought you would tutor English?"

It was her piss poor attempt at humour, but the moment the words left her mouth she knew it was the wrong thing to say. Chloe was almost frowning, but Beca clinged to the 'almost.'

"You're- You're in high school? Why were you at a college party if you're in high- Oh my god, how old are you?"

The redhead suddenly looked equal parts of panicked and scared.

"I'm legal!" Beca couldn't help but shout; she hoped those two words were calm her mind, along with the look in her eyes.

"I graduate this summer" she added as an afterthought, attempting to offer her a reassuring smile.

"I've got to go."

Before Beca could say anything Chloe was already walking out of the door and down the corridor, leaving the DJ to sit helplessly behind her school desk.

"Shit" she mumbled into the hands covering her face.

 **XXX**

 **A/N –** **Thank you very much the faves, follows and reviews so far. I know the last few updates I haven't said it, but your support is never overlooked. I know in the reviews a couple of people have requested continuations of different chapters, but the truth is if I haven't already posted a follow up, I'm unlikely to be continuing. When I feel like a story has gone as far as it can go or it's reached its full potential, its usual better not to tamper with it, if you know what I mean? (sorry.)**

 **Don't be shy with the reviews (Yep, shameless plea...) and keep reading, but only if you like, fancy it – no pressure or anything.**


	23. 23 - I don't want to watch Pretty Woman

**DISCLAMIER:** **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of the characters and all mistakes are that of my own.**

" **I Don't Want to Watch Pretty Woman Anymore."**

To say things had been strained between her and Chloe recently would be an understatement. Ever since Chloe had turned in her sleep bag to face Beca at the retreat there had been some sort of almost awkward and foreign atmosphere between them.

"I didn't do enough experimenting in college."

At first Beca brushed it off with a quick dismissal and a turn in her sleeping bag but the words had been on her mind for the last two weeks.

Two long weeks of overanalysing that lead to further confusions and – what puzzled her the most – a burning curiosity. The DJ had attempted to go about their friendship as she usually would; an overwhelming need to give off an unfazed exterior, but truth be told it was never working. It seemed ever since they had returned from Fallen Leaves, Chloe had recoiled slightly.

The pair still had late night study sessions, regular coffee dates and the co-captain meetings Chloe had insisted on since they were dismissed from every competition except Worlds but there was this form of hesitation from Chloe that made Beca regret uttering the words "You're so weird" in the tent that night.

The redhead didn't find her hand when they walked together anymore, nor did she press a kiss to the corner of Beca's mouth just because she "wanted to." - It left the brunette feeling cold and empty leading to even more confusion.

"What are we watching?" Chloe shouted from the kitchen as the Bellas gathered in the living room in aid of their weekly movie night.

Beca leaned on the counter, watching as her best friend placed a bag of popcorn in the microwave.

"Pretty Woman!" came the reply from the other room as Chloe closed the microwave door, a wide grin spreading on her lips upon hearing the information.

Beca groaned, "Again, but why?" she dragged out with an over exaggerated whine.

Usually the DJ would bluntly object to the movie choice and inform everyone she was just going to work on some mixes in her room, but Chloe would persuade her to stay and Beca would pretend to object for five minutes before she sat on the couch next the redhead with a forced frown.

Beca didn't want to object tonight; she was scared Chloe wouldn't 'force' her to stay.

Chloe simply smirked, "You love it really, Becs."

She was right. Beca loved Bella's movie night, very deep down in her heart it was one of her favourite "Bella bonding activities." It didn't matter what movie they watched or what night of the week they all sat down together, Beca enjoyed the feeling of family that came with it. From Fat Amy hogging all the popcorn, to Stacie insisting they pause it each time someone needed to leave the room for the space of thirty seconds and above all Beca enjoyed Chloe cuddled up to her for an hour and half without anyone rising any eyebrow.

Sitting in the corner of the sofa, a hand carelessly draped over the top of the sofa whilst Chloe leaned into her side and rested her head on a shoulder – that was where Beca felt the most content and she was missing the redhead's contact lately, so she'd suffer through the movie they had watched three weeks in a row just in order to feel the touch she so desperately craved.

That reason was a red flag within itself, but Beca didn't want to think about it tonight.

Once they were all in front of the television and in their appointed seats - Chloe unusually further away from Beca than she was use to – Lily pressed play and everyone's eyes landed on the screen. Ten minutes in and Chloe had shuffled a little closer, tugging the corner of the blanket on Beca's legs onto her own, closing the gap on the sofa and causing their arms to touch. The brunette readjusted her position and raised her left arm onto the back of the sofa, giving Chloe a clear signal to cuddle closer. It was bold move; something she would never have dared to do two weeks ago, but with the current situation the DJ couldn't help herself.

Luckily Chloe scooted closer, absentmindedly resting her hand on Beca's leg. She felt the redhead sigh and relax into their new position; meanwhile Beca tried everything in her power to suppress the dopey grin tugging on her lips.

The movie dragged on and Julia Roberts was currently chewing gum very loudly and browsing a clothes shop whilst Beca reached for Chloe's hand under the blanket and quickly intertwined their fingers together. She had been debating it the moment Chloe moved closer when she suddenly decided to just go for it.

Chloe stiffened, her body turning rigid for a moment. Beca felt the head on her shoulder lift for a second, before it was returned and a finger was slowly running back and forth on the back of her hand. There was no way the DJ could contain her smile anymore.

Beca had grown surer of her daring behaviour and let her arm slowly move from the top of the sofa and around Chloe's shoulders to pull her closer. The other woman was no longer rigid or tense and rested in Beca's embrace.

Chloe's thumb had been rubbing soft circles on the back of Beca's hand for what felt like hours now. It was a constant reminder that Chloe was alright with what Beca initiated and a reassurance she needed because that was just so _Chloe._

A quick scan over the older woman's head and Beca could see most of the Bellas were either asleep or engrossed in the movie. It was impulsive, but she had already gone too far this evening to start second guessing herself now.

"Can we go and talk?"

Beca's voice was barely a whisper and she despised the shakiness in it. Chloe gave her hand a gentle squeeze before looking up to the now nervous woman at the side of her. Beca didn't catch a reply, but instead the redhead was quietly getting to her feet and leading Beca into the kitchen without any of their friends noticing. Chloe dropped the hand in hers in order to pull herself up onto the counter, she flashed Beca a smile, but the brunette instantly picked up on the uncertainty in her best friend's eyes. She nervously rubbed the spot on her hand Chloe had previously been caressing and let out a sigh.

"So..." Chloe breathed on.

"I don't want to watch Pretty Woman anymore" Beca answered lamely, intently watching the foot she dragged along the kitchen tile, unable to rest her gaze on Chloe.

"That's it? Because in case you didn't know, I was actually really comfy."

Two weeks ago that comment would have been followed by an over seductive wink, but now Chloe just slyly smiled.

Beca anxiously shifted the weight on her feet before she let out a chuckle – not because of what Chloe said but because of what she had just decided to do; it could be misjudged and wildly inappropriate but Beca just needed to know.

Moving closer, the brunette placed both her hands on the other woman's thighs and stepped in between them. She searched Chloe's eyes for a second, before leaning up onto her toes and kissing her lips softly.

She slowly pulled back, unsure of her actions and let her eyes settle back on Chloe. The taller woman's eyes were still closed; Beca wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not, so she wet her lips and proceeded to speak.

"I don't want to experiment with you, Chlo, I want so much more than that."

Her words were quiet and unsteady, but they were sincere and truthful. Chloe opened her eyes; her face unreadable; and rested her hands atop of Beca's, before moving them to rest on her waist. Both women watched their hands move in silence, until their eyes met and Chloe finally smiled.

"I want that too" she whispered before leaning in closer to kiss Beca's lips again.

 **XXX**

 **A/N 1:** **So I have decided to write a second instalment of my latest prompt (the last chapter), so if you're down for that, let me know. Also, the guest reviewer that asked for a part two of chapter six – you have awoken my inner angst and I've already made a start on it. So if you're cool with that, I'll finish it and it should be posted soon.**

 **I apologise for the one chapter updates at the minute (I prefer to upload two or three at a time so you can pick and choose what you read – you know, in case chapter ... is shit) but I have been having a hard time writing and getting inspired as of late. Not to worry, I have a few ideas in the mix at the moment so hopefully the chapter updates will increase.**

 **Thank you for sticking with this very long authors note and (hopefully) enjoying the latest chapter; if not, let me know!**


	24. 24 - Friends WithOUT Benefits P2

**A/N –** **I made a start and actually finished it. Once I began typing, I couldn't really stop – perhaps I've just found the missing inspiration I mentioned. This is dark and angsty and guest reader you better like it, because I really enjoyed writing it! OK, I'm going to sleep, I have to be up for work in two hours – help me!**

 **Friends WithOUT Benefits Part 2**

Beca wasn't sure how long she had been stumbling around the house, but the music was thudding inside her head and the alcohol was still burning the insides of her cheeks. The random redhead she was so sure would be returning back to Beca's dorm tonight was long gone; something about the brunette being too vacant and "somewhere else."

The DJ had been in and out of every room in search of the one person she wanted to see the most right now; Chloe. It was usually about this time (she's not even entirely sure of the time actually) Chloe would approach Beca - shy and cautious – and ask if she was ready to leave yet, which was obvious code for something both woman knew they wanted.

But it seemed tonight Chloe was nowhere in sight.

There was a panic burning inside Beca's body, a fear she had never experienced before. She needed Chloe right now, not just for sex, but for her company. The sex was merely a way for both of them to get the release from each other they had both come accustom to over the years, but for Beca the proposition was a ploy to have Chloe's attention. There was an undeniable content and calmness that washed over Beca whenever they were together and right now, drunk and stoned out of her mind she needed that, no she craved it.

But Chloe wasn't at the party.

 **XXX**

Chloe had finally given up on trying to have a good time with her best friend. The pair went to some bars outside of campus with a few of Aubrey's fellow law students on the premise of having a good time.

But Chloe couldn't get Beca out of her head.

There were some many thoughts running through her mind, all while the group delved into casual conversation, but Chloe was mentally somewhere else – which didn't go unnoticed by Aubrey.

 _Is Beca at the party? How much has she drunk by now? Who has she kissed? Will she take anyone home that's not me tonight?_

Her brain was an overload, more questions roused by her answers to the ones before. Chloe knew staying away from the frat party was a good idea and she knew all too well Aubrey had planned they get off campus in order to try and protect her; she was thankful for that, but no matter how hard she tried she was unable to forget Beca and enjoy being out with her friends.

"Chlo, you can go home."

Aubrey had placed a hand on her shoulder, and offered her a small smile.

"No, I said I'd come out and-"

"Chloe, you've done nothing but look miserable all night. Honestly, it's OK, you can go home."

The redhead let out a deep sigh, before giving her a sad smile.

"Thanks, Bree. For this..." she gestured to the table they were sat around, "...I know you were trying to help, I'm sorry for being..." she stopped, shaking her head, a bitter chuckle leaving her lips.

"I know. Go."

Chloe had called a cab back to Barden and unlocked her door. She stepped out of her black dress; mentally scolding herself for wanting Beca to pull it off her instead; and got into bed.

It was two forty in the morning when her phone rang. The ringtone had always been the default setting, until Beca gave herself a personal ringtone. 2 Live Crew's "Me so horny" filled the room, waking Chloe from her slumber.

After a moment of disorientation, she jolted upright in her bed and scrambled for the ringing device on the dresser, already aware Beca was calling. Chloe let her mind wander to the younger woman's naked form as she sat up in her bed and moved to hover over a similarly unclothed Chloe with a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.

"So now when I call you, you'll already know what I want."

The words were ghosted over her lips and if Beca hadn't have kissed her right at the moment Chloe is sure she would have burst into tears – the sheer truth in that statement ran deep. The worst part to it all being the fact that Beca never had to call first, it was always her, unable to give their nights of passion up.

Chloe hastily swiped answer on her phone, a breathy "hello" almost yelled down the speaker.

It was sad and desperate and she hated herself for it.

The sound of loud music and voices muffled through the device Chloe had so tightly pressed to her ear.

"Where are you?" Beca's words were delayed and slurred. There was a hint of desperation in her voice, along with an underlining tone of annoyance.

"You said you'd be here and you're fucking not."

Beca was less annoyed now, her voice sounded like a plea and it made Chloe's heart soar, a strong and uncontrollable amount of happiness spreading through her body because this was the closest the younger woman had ever come to admitting she wanted or needed her.

Chloe knows she should say it's late; tell her to go back to her dorm and not call her again, but she can't – she's too weak.

"Beca, are you OK?"

There was a long pause, before Chloe could hear a long sigh.

"No, because you're not here; I ne-I want you to come and meet me."

And just like that, Chloe was up out of bed in the early hours of the morning, pulling on some jeans and a hoody and rushing over to the frat house to meet the girl that so blatantly owned and constantly mistreated her heart.

Chloe was weak when it came to Beca.

Chloe was always weak when it came to love.

 **XXX**

Beca had abandoned Tom and pushed through the sea of people blocking her way to the front door. Chloe was coming to meet her outside and she'd promised to be quick.

Beca didn't really want to have sex tonight; the joint she'd had outside on the patio with a group of freshman had doubled the amount of alcohol she'd previously drunk and now she was feeling the full effects of it.

She dropped down on the curb, attempting to control the dizziness swimming in her head. She unscrewed the cap of the bottle of water she'd grabbed on her way out and drained the bottle of its contents. There was a constant buzzing in her ears and Beca couldn't stop the continuous bobbing of her left leg.

She leaned back onto the grass, bringing her hands to face; she had to get herself together. If she didn't sober up soon Beca knew hooking up with Chloe was going to get more vocal than usual and actually honest.

The sex was always honest for Beca, always. It wasn't just sex to her, but she made very little conversation before, during and after in order to convince Chloe it was.

"Becs?"

The sweetness of her voice already seemed to be calming her head. There was a warm hand stopping her knee from its previous jerking and Beca felt like she'd just returned home after a long vacation. She removed her hands to see Chloe sat beside her with a concerned look on her face. Beca just focussed on her eyes for a while, letting them pull them her back to reality.

"Come on, let's get you home."

 **XXX**

It had been two years since that night and Chloe had spent a long time trying to forget it. The sleepless nights and the body wracking sobs had subsided now and she tried to tell herself she had moved on.

Chloe thought about the girl that still had her heart frequently; more so at night when she was alone, engulfed in darkness. Her mind would always wander back to the time they spent together and the last night they ever saw each other.

Beca had swayed on her feet the entire walk home, her arm wrapped tightly around Chloe's waist. Despite her current state, the DJ was still softly drumming her fingers onto the redhead's hip; it was distracting. It had Chloe thinking about where those fingers had touched her and how meticulous they could work – she shook the thought away.

Once they reached Beca's dorm room, Chloe had set her down on the bed and started untying the laces of her converse.

"Thank you for helping me" Beca said, pulling her feet away and kicking them off herself. The need Chloe had felt less than five seconds ago completely shattered, causing her to feel the dull pain of Beca's rejection before they'd even slept together.

Chloe stood up; a newfound resistance rising inside of her; as she made her way to the door.

"NO!"

Beca's yell cemented Chloe's feet to the floor.

"I want you to stay."

The redhead turned.

"Please don't go" Beca added with a vulnerability Chloe had never seen before.

The brunette held her gaze, before pulling her shirt over her head and shuffling in between the sheets as she peeled off her jeans. She waved Chloe over, sitting up in bed and pulling the duvet back; a subtle invitation.

Chloe moved towards the bed, her shoes already off. She was unzipping her hoody, revealing a black bra, before Beca stilled her hands and pulled the zip the rest of the way. She was kneeling on the edge of the bed now, placing a soft kiss to Chloe's cheek.

Another one to her neck.

A third to her collarbone.

And one more to just above her breast, before she pulled the jacket down Chloe's shoulders and unbuttoned her jeans.

Chloe was already pushing them the rest of the way down, before stepping out of them and getting into bed. Beca followed suit, laying down beside her and resting on her side.

Beca wasn't really one for eye contact; her eyes fleeted away from Chloe's whenever they were intimate together, but for some reason tonight, Beca never removed her eyes from Chloe's. They were transfixed and still, as if she was getting lost in them.

That feeling alone made Chloe melt. It made her think perhaps all this time Beca had felt the same intense love for her all along.

The brunette was peppering delicate kisses to her lips; chaste and loving kisses that Chloe would never forget.

"I need you" Beca whispered.

The redhead instantly trailed her hand down the DJ's arm, pausing on her hipbone, before caressing her stomach and quickly reaching lower. Beca held her hand, stopping it and squeezing it in hers.

She shook her head, "Not like that. I need you to be with me, forever."

Chloe led in silence, processing the words in astonishment.

"I'm sorry I treat you like shit, it's wrong and unacceptable."

There was a pause, another kiss against her lips.

"I love you and I'm so fucked up as a person that I don't know how to deal with it. I want to be someone that treats you like you deserve to be treated. Someone that respects you and gets to call you theirs, because you're the most amazing person I've ever met and I am so completely undeserving of you – even if we hadn't have started this in the beginning."

"No, Beca-"

Chloe brought her hand from under the sheets and swiped a thumb under Beca's eye, wiping away the tears.

"Can we just pretend we've only just met?" Beca asked hesitantly, her newly free hand resting on Chloe's waist. "I've never fucked you, the whole time we've been doing this. But tonight I just want us to knowingly make love to each other – which sounds clichéd and corny – but that's what I want to do. I want to show you how I wish I could have treated you from the beginning."

Chloe didn't even give her an answer, she just expressed her agreement with a kiss, a passionate kiss that was rushed and needy but unlike the hundreds of times before it tasted different. It was an almost promise and a symbol of love that Beca had never admitted before.

In the morning, the redhead awoke, hair tangled and unclothed in an empty bed to a note that said "I'm sorry."

Chloe never saw Beca again after that. The brunette had quit college and seemingly disappeared without a trace, her phone calls unanswered and a less than informative explanation from Doctor Mitchell forcing Chloe to give up her search.

She shed countless tears for a woman that never deserved them.

But it was getting easier now, easier to move on.

Beca was always in her mind – even two years later - but she was never within reach. Even the times they were together and Chloe could stretch her arms out and hold her, Beca Mitchell was never truly within grasp. Beca's love was something she herself could never give and Chloe held onto as much of it as she could muster; a love for the both of them.

She's not quite ready to let it go yet and she's not sure when she will be.

 **XXX**


	25. 25 - Mathematical P2

**A/N:** **Part two of chapter twenty-two as promised. I skipped ahead a bit, purely for length reasons. I started writing from where I left it and realised it would be way too long, so I hope this isn't too disappointing. Also, I realised the chapter title was now pointless, so I made an even crappier title with very little creativity...**

" **You're Just a Kid" (Mathematical Part 2)**

"I can't see you anymore."

Beca remembers the words like they were yesterday and she still feels the sting it delivered.

When she first met Chloe at the college party, she had no idea things would get so intense so quickly. For a long time after their fateful conversation at an on-campus coffee shop, Beca wished she'd never met Chloe and never known the heartache she experienced. To finish her DJ set and go home, like she had set out too in the first place.

It still baffles her that Chloe was able to rip out her heart and stomp on it so easily when they'd only known each other a little over twenty-four hours.

"But I'm eighteen, I graduate in the summer, I don't see why you'd want to ruin something before it's even begun."

"Because I'm twenty-two, Beca!" the redhead shouted, her outburst causing a couple of customer's to look in their direction.

It was the way she ducked and snapped her head to the window in shame. If Beca's looking back on it, that's probably what hurt the most and replayed in her head many nights after.

"You're eighteen" Chloe whisper-shouted through gritted teeth, you're in high school! How's it going to work, Beca?"

She regretted the way she flinched when Chloe spat out her name; a patronising and condescending tone dripping from her lips.

"I'll pick you up from school and we'll go watch a movie?" Chloe laughed bitterly.

"I don't even watch movies, so..." Beca added sarcastically, stirring the spoon in the coffee mug in front of her.

"You're just a kid!"

Those words were the final straw and Beca was up and out of there like a shot, willing herself to keep the tears at bay until she in the safe confides of her car.

 **XXX**

Beca's mind was reeling. She scrambled down an unmarked path in order to stay out of sight and rushed her way back to Baker Hall.

From the moment she graduated high school, Beca had practically packed all of her belongings already, eagerly waiting for her departure date for Los Angeles. High school wasn't the thrilling experience people had spoken of at the graduation ceremony as she sat in a crowded hall. She counted down the seconds she could finally escape the place she had been forced to spend the last four years of her life.

There was a strong sense of relief to know that Beca no longer had anything holding her back from pursuing her dream career in music. The brunette found comfort in knowing she was able to close that chapter of her life and start afresh in a new place. Other than Jesse, Beca hadn't made many friends, so leaving Georgia wasn't going to be emotionally challenging; she was eager to finally put her hometown behind her.

But her Dad had other ideas.

Three days shy of her flight date; Dr Mitchell sat her daughter down and told her LA was no longer on the cards.

"College first, LA after – This isn't a discussion, Beca."

Beca kicked all of her packed boxes around her bedroom in frustration, she yelled and screamed, seeing nothing but red. Her Father's constant ever changing conditions and empty promises caused something to snap inside of her that night, all of their past problems and disagreements resurfaced, resulting in a screaming match.

Her Dad was supposed to be an adult, but she's sure he shouted louder. He was suppose to be a supportive parent, but instead he was trying everything in his power to shatter her dreams in hopes that eventually the fire inside of her would finally burn out if he hosed enough water on it – the first spray was refusing to buy DJing equipment; the second was graduating high school; and now, the most powerful force of water being Barden University.

He cancelled her flight, unpacked her boxes (what was left of them) and shipped her off to college.

It was her first day moving into her dorm when she caught a glimpse of a woman from her past handing out flyers at a kiosk at the activities fair.

 _Chloe._

Six months ago Beca was a different person; she was naive and hopeful – Chloe and her Dad had done a good job of taking that from her. They hardened her exterior and made her see that if you wanted something in this life you had to work for it, all by yourself.

She pushed the door open to her room and sat by her desk. Chloe was twenty-two, if not twenty-three already, why was she still at Barden?

The sudden shock of recognition had stunned her but now she had time to think about it, Beca wasn't all that surprised. The redhead was the only reason she called a cab to the college campus and followed her Dad's orders. Although she hated herself for it, there was a small part of Beca that hoped her college experience would reunite them.

She shook her head with a bitter laugh and grabbed her headphones. There was too many thoughts racing through her mind right now, she needed music to soothe her head and slow them down.

 **XXX**

Three weeks into the college life she had been forced into and Beca had been very unproductive. She attended as little classes as possible and slept until the late afternoon. Her nights were filed with music and perfecting mixes, whilst everyone else went about their education. Beca was doing just another to fly under the radar, without her Dad finding out and barely leaving her dorm.

She saw Chloe at a bakery a couple of days ago and since then she had never returned; no matter how good their cinnamon buns were. She had abandoned her order the moment the redhead walked through the door. She was engrossed in deep conversation with the same blonde from the activities fair.

Chloe was in an a cappella group; the Bellas. Beca had been curious enough to find out, but unsure of what to do with the new information; approaching Chloe was never going to happen, but she couldn't seem to rid that feeling of curiosity – most people would say that was signs of caring, but Beca would argue that point all day.

She couldn't possibly care for someone that broke her heart seven months ago.

It was late one Friday night when the DJ decided to attend her first official college party. Her Dad had left her three angry voicemails about her missing classes, causing Beca to seek out a release – alcohol always seemed to work.

In her last months at school, Beca attended every party with Jesse she could, relaying on the cheap beer and fireball whiskey to help her escape her head for a night. Tonight seemed like a good time to relive old habits.

She was sat on a sun lounger around a crowded pool not too far from her dorm. Her third cup of beer was tightly clasped in her hand as she watched the party from afar. As the night went on, Beca moved onto harder drinks, with stronger percentages and finally let loose. She had struck up conversation with a blonde Australian woman who had handed her a shot with grin.

Turns out Fat Amy is actually from Tasmania ("with a T") and had proved to be good company. They were talking about college extra activates when the word "Bellas" was casually dropped into conversation. Beca was quickly backing away, attempting to quietly slip out, until she spotted Chloe making her way over.

If Beca wanted to she could have turned on her heels and fled the party unseen - much like at the activities fair - but for some reason her feet were no longer cooperating, planting themselves onto the concrete, unwilling to move.

Chloe was dressed casually; jeans and a light blue blouse; and Beca tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach – the woman was no longer worthy of those, she lost the right to make Beca feel like that the moment she called her "just a kid" in a half empty coffee shop.

Suddenly ocean blue eyes were locked on ones and steel blue ones, recognition flickering on Chloe's face.

"Beca?" she asked, puzzled and surprised.

The brunette couldn't speak; the voice she was just using had died in her throat.

"I can't believe- Are you studying here?"

Fat Amy patted the smaller woman on the shoulder and made her way through the patio doors, with a quick "catch you later, guys."

"Yeah."

That was all Beca could manage - a one word answer and slight shrug of the shoulders. She downed the beer in her cup, her eyes darting towards the backyard gate she walked through a few hours ago.

There was a silence, before Chloe was stepping closer and wrapping her up in a hug. The embrace was longer than it should have been, the redhead holding her tightly for a second too long. Beca awkwardly let her hands rest on Chloe's hips, loose and stiff.

"Let's get a drink and catch up."

Beca wanted to laugh in her face. She wanted to not so politely decline, but her legs were disobeying her body again and instead following Chloe over to the sun lounger she was previously sat on with a new drink in her hand.

"So, how've you been?" Chloe's voice was upbeat, like she was trying her very best to keep conversation positive. Beca wasn't going to play along; she finally regained her voice.

"Really, that's what you're going to ask me?" she spoke defensively, raising her eyebrows at the woman beside her.

"Beca, I-"

"No, Chloe – save it. You broke my heart, you know that? I know it was only a drunken night at a party but I felt something, something I'd never felt before and I know you did too, I could see it in your eyes in the morning. But then you just brushed me off; waved me away like it meant nothing. Do you even know how that made me feel?!"

She couldn't hold it anymore. Beca had spent so much time thinking of the words she would say to Chloe if they ever saw each other again and the ones she just spoke were not nearly enough. The alcohol was clouding her mind, but there was some sort of weight leaving her body, a heavy weight she had been carrying for so many months - maybe this was the closure Jesse had told her she never had the chance to have.

"But what do I know; I'm just a fucking kid, right?"

She stood up to leave, but there was a hand grabbing her wrist and pulling her back.

"I'm sorry" Chloe rushed out, "I regret how I handled it, you have to believe me."

Beca opened her mouth to speak, before Chloe was continuing, "I felt it too, at the party. As soon as I saw you in that classroom, I freaked out, OK? I should have handled it better" she sighed with the shake of her head.

"I'm sorry."

The way Chloe's eyes pleaded, along with the hurt in her eyes made Beca feel weak. The sincerity in her voice and the genuine apology made her want to find the forgiveness she was so sure she'd never have.

She shook it off.

"Can we meet for lunch tomorrow?" Chloe asked cautiously.

"No, that's not a good idea" Beca breathed out, before turning and rushing out of the party and back to her dorm.

 **XXX**

It had been two days since they had spoken at the party and Beca couldn't stop replaying the conversation in her mind nor could she stop picturing Chloe's pleading eyes and hear her sincere apology on loop in her ears.

The redhead shouldn't be able to do that.

Treat Beca like she meant nothing and then make her feel better after seven months of hurt and despair with a possible drunk apology at yet another college party.

The DJ was making her way to philosophy class; already ten minutes late. She began to pick up the pace, almost breaking into a run. If she was late to this class again she was going to get a disciplinary and she did not want to deal with another heated discussion with her Dad. She pulled her phone from her pocket to quickly check the time when she was running into something solid.

A body collided with hers, knocking the device from her hand and a foot heavily stomping on her toe.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry."

Beca didn't even have to look up to know who she just bumped into, because of course it would be Chloe. The universe was clearly against her; _fucking typical._

"Beca?"

The younger woman retrieved her phone from the gravel path and nodded her head in response.

"Look, I gotta go."

"No, wait, please! Don't rush off again."

The hand was back on her wrist, the same way it had been a couple of nights before. Beca looked down at it, hoping Chloe would let go; she didn't. She could feel her resolve slowly crumbling under the redhead's gaze.

"What? What could we possibly have to talk about?" she asked impatiently.

"About what's between us."

Beca wasn't sure what to say to that...

"I know it's still there, or else you wouldn't be so angry and I wouldn't be so sorry" Chloe added after a few seconds of silence. She sounded confident and surer, demolishing the last poor constructed piece of her resolve.

Before she could reply, Chloe was pulling her hand and leading her away, through the trees planted along the path and out of sight from the busy commute. Beca tried to speak when she was suddenly cut off by Chloe's lips and being pushed up against a wall.

The redhead's lips were as soft as they had been seven months ago and they moved as expertly as they had then. Beca couldn't help but kiss them back when Chloe was pushing her body flush against hers and tangling fingers in her hair. The brunette ran her tongue along a bottom lip and deepened the kiss, letting her hands rest on the taller woman's hips but this time she wrapped them securely around her waist, tightly pulling Chloe closer to her.

In Beca's last months of school she definitely gained far more experience in the art of kissing and other _areas_ than she had when she first met Chloe. It seemed the technique she had picked up was appreciated, if the hips grinding into hers had anything to do with it. Beca couldn't stop her smirk upon hearing a soft moan leave the redhead's mouth.

Eventually, both woman parted, purely from a lack of oxygen and stayed with their arms wrapped around each other, Beca's phone discarded somewhere on the grass.

"Was that a good kiss for a kid?" Beca challenged.

"Beca, don't" Chloe said softly, leaning her forehead on hers.

"I never stopped thinking about you, you know?" she whispered, her blue eyes searching Beca's.

"Yeah, me too" she mumbled, planting a soft kiss on Chloe's lips.

 **XXX**


	26. Yellow Dungarees

**Yellow Dungarees**

Beca woke to a small pair of feet pressed against her back and her side of the duvet no longer over her body. She turned her head slightly, catching a glimpse of her wife and daughter sleeping soundly next to her, wrapped up in a cocoon of the bedding.

The morning light was shining through the slight parting in the curtains, as Beca turned onto her back, carefully moving Ava's feet back to the centre of the bed. She could see Chloe's arm protectively wrapped around her waist and the sunlight reflective off the wedding band on her finger.

Beca let out a content sigh, a joyous smile on her face.

The alarm on the night stand began to beep loudly, causing Beca's hand to quickly silence it, trying to stop it from waking her little family.

"Mom?"

 _Too late..._

Ava whispered quietly, turning to face Beca with a wide grin.

Beca returned the smile, before pressing a finger to her lips and carefully lifting up Chloe's arm. The redhead stirred, letting out a quiet mumble before lying on her back and returning to sleep. Beca scooped her daughter up slowly and stepped out of bed.

"Breakfast?" she whispered in her ear, pressing a sloppy kiss to her cheek.

"Breakfast!" Ava confirmed with an enthusiastic fist pump.

Once they were on the hallway Beca softly shut the bedroom door and raced a laughing Ava down the stairs on her back.

"Alright, kiddo what's on the menu, cereal?" she asked the moment they arrived in the kitchen, gently dropping the nodding three year old to sit on the counter.

"Coming right up!"

It's strange how Beca's life had turned out. She's certain she has never experienced so much happiness since she started a family with her wife. Fresh out of college her and Chloe kept their relationship strong, but made sure to throw themselves into both their desired careers, not allowing any obstacle to stop them. By the time they had both considered to be content and successful at work, the couple spent more time and effort on their relationship.

It wasn't long before they were married, owned a house and started a family. This wasn't the life Beca had mapped out for herself when she was in college but from the moment she met Chloe, she knew the woman needed to be in it. Being a wife and a mother is a rewarding job, but it's even more rewarding and even more wonderful because she has Chloe and Ava in her life.

"No milk!" the child yelled just as Beca was about to pour some in the bowl in front of her. Beca let out an amused chuckle, before fishing a spoon out of the drawer, "Right, I forget, you're weird!" she teased.

"Am not!" Ava shot back.

"Are too!" Beca replied handing her the bowl and bobbing her nose.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"AM NOT!" she exclaimed, causing Beca to laugh.

"Alright, alright you win!" she whined, a smirk on her face.

Beca moved around the kitchen island and turned on the coffee machine. She poured some into a mug and pulled herself up to sit next to her daughter. Reaching for the bowl, Beca helped herself to a handful of cereal and washed it down with some coffee.

"Mom says you're supposed to ask" Ava mumbled, with food in her mouth.

"Yeah and she also says don't talk with your mouthful, dude."

The child swallowed, just before sticking her tongue out and protectively hugging the bowl and moving it out of Beca's reach.

"Yep, you're definitely my kid" she sighed proudly, bringing the cup back to her lips.

Once they were both finished, the brunette helped Ava down from the counter and poured some more coffee into a mug.

"Right, you have got to get ready for school."

Beca made her way up the stairs, watching the toddler in front of her carefully to make sure she managed up the steps, before she darted off to her own bedroom with a loud and infectious giggle. The brunette entered her room, making her way over to the body wrapped up in the bed sheets and placing the mug of coffee down on Chloe's bedside.

She sat down, before slowly pulling the duvet down from Chloe's face and peppering her neck with light kisses, a muffled "morning" tickling the other woman's skin. She let out a sleepily hum and tangled her fingers in Beca's hair, bringing her face closer to hers with a lazy smile and kissing her lips.

"Someone is up early" Chloe teased once they had parted.

Beca simply chuckled, "...and you're up last."

The redhead sat up, allowing Beca to sit cross legged near the bottom of the bed. Chloe reached for her coffee with appreciative thanks and brought it to her lips.

"Where's trouble?" she asked with a loving smile.

"Fed, watered and getting ready for pre-school" Beca replied, earning a light shove from Chloe's foot; Beca had a habit of referring to their daughter like she was a plant or a pet. In all honesty, it started the minute Ava was born, the brunette still couldn't believe she was responsible for another person and Beca's attempt at humor was a way to suppress her nerves and anxiety. Now, four years on she still does it, just because she loves the eye roll it receives from her wife.

"You know she's going to insist on wearing those horrible dungarees your Mom bought, right?"

As Ava grew older, it was clear to see she had inherited Chloe's pout and puppy dog eyes, along with the ability to use them as effectively as her Mother; _she was three_. It became difficult for Beca and her Mom to say no to the little girl, so when on a shopping trip with Beca's Mother and Ava spotted a pair of mustard yellow dungarees with a bright pink flower on the front pocket – they were hideous – she came home with them an hour later with a huge smile on her face, insisting on wearing them every day.

That was six days ago and the child was doing a very good job at keeping her word.

"Yep" Beca nodded. "But if she wants to wear them, who am I to stop her? We all have to make our fashion mistakes, Chlo, even if they start at the age of three" she added sarcastically.

Chloe shook her head, before leaning forward "And this is why I wake up first in the morning."

She pecked Beca's lips quickly before getting to her feet and stretching her back, causing her top to ride up slightly, catching the younger woman's eye. Beca was quickly standing to wrap her arms around her wife's waist, "I think we should both get up first every morning" she whispered in her ear, her voice lowering slightly.

Chloe sank into Beca's embrace for a moment before letting out a sigh, "Nope, not on parent duty" she replied, stilling the wandering hands pulling at the waistband of her shorts.

"We were on parent duty all last night" Beca whined, interlocking their fingers together.

Before Chloe could say anything, Ava was pushing at the bedroom door, dressed in her predicted yellow outfit, causing Beca to step back from Chloe.

"Yeah, because of nightmares" the redhead announced loudly, shooting a glare at Beca and making her way over to their daughter and helping Ava fasten the buckle.

"Did you have any more bad dreams last night, sweetie?" she asked, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Nope..." Ava beamed, "...You kept them away, just like you said."

Chloe was always supposed to be a Mother and Beca was in awe everyday as to how she did such an amazing job day in and day out.

"Alright, should we go and make your lunch?" she asked offering her hand out, "Mommy has to get ready for work and hopefully make some fashion mistakes of her own" Chloe shouted, flashing her a knowing look before making her way out of the room.

"Hey, plaid never goes out of fashion!" Beca retorted after them with a wonky smile.

 _Yep, married life was pretty great._

 **A/N –** **So I'm not sure where this came from, but it happened. I can't work out if I think it's good enough or not, but I promised more chapter updates, so... meh.**


	27. 27 - Late Night Window

**Prompt: "Chloe is a nerd in high school and Beca is the cool popular girl she has a crush on."**

 **Late Night Window**

It was almost midnight and Chloe was still working on her English assignment that was due in next week. Her peers at school had called the redhead a "nerd" or a "geek" in the past but the truth was Chloe just really enjoyed school and widening her knowledge.

It started from a young age and ever since she could write her own name Chloe was eager to better herself academically, whether it was in math, science or just to complete more challenging crosswords; Chloe loved the satisfaction that came with completing something.

So it was no surprise she was already working on an essay that most of her classmates wouldn't have even given a second thought about yet.

School was something she enjoyed but she had very few friends to share her teenage experiences. Parties and experimenting with sex, alcohol and drugs wasn't as important to her as it was to others and she wasn't ashamed to admit that.

But at times, Chloe would often catch herself wondering what it must be like for the popular kids in her classes. They walked the halls with a sense of confidence Chloe hadn't developed yet and a social acceptance she wished she had.

"Those kids won't have the bright future you're setting yourself up for, Chloe."

Her Mom's words would run through her mind when she caught herself feeling envious. Maybe it was true, but she was painfully aware that the school "nerd" never got asked to the school dances or invited to the cool parties. There was a part of her that thought she might be missing out on the high school experience; but the social highflyers at high school didn't always get into Harvard.

That was a much more comforting thought than her Mother's reassurance.

Beca Mitchell was the school rebel; a slacker on her school work with a "fuck you" attitude - It made Chloe's throat dry and her knees weak, but as far as she knew, Beca Mitchell wasn't even aware of her existence.

"Why don't you just talk to her?" Aubrey had asked countless times when she caught her best friend staring.

"And what would I say?" Chloe asked, shoving more books into her already filled backpack.

"I don't know, hi maybe?" the blonde replied, taking her bag and rearranging it quickly, before slipping the last of the books inside neatly.

"Yeah, OK" she scoffed.

Chloe knew she wasn't into guys. There had been a boyfriend for a couple of months; George was on the debate team and stuttered whenever Chloe spoke to him. At first she thought it was sweet, but as time went on and their friendship developed into something more, the redhead knew George wasn't what she really wanted. There was something missing, something she didn't feel until she kissed Heather Morris during a game of spin the bottle in her basement a few months ago and suddenly everything made sense.

The reason she was attracted to Beca's blue eyes and why her line of sight always seemed to wander to her low cut tank tops – Chloe finally understood what it all meant.

But she couldn't act on her feelings; mainly because of her school work but partly because the thought of talking to Beca made her feel sick with nervousness.

She was just saving the changes to her word document when a loud bang outside her window startled her.

Chloe's bedroom was on the second floor. When they first moved to the town five or six years ago, Chloe had won the heated discussion with her younger sister in order to have the bedroom with the balcony; something she was instantly regretting now there was a rapping on her window.

At first she froze, staring at her laptop screen and her legs unwilling to move themselves from her bed. Chloe carefully closed the lid, before settling her gaze on the window. There were a few minutes of silence, before another tap caused her to jump up in a blind panic.

She cautiously made her way over and hesitantly tugged the curtain open to see a figure crouching down.

"Chloe Beale, right?" a voice asked hurriedly.

Before the redhead could respond the person (intruder?) was standing up and resting their hand on the window sill. "It's Beca. Beca Mitchell. I know this is weird, but please can you, like, let me in?"

Chloe stood up straight in panic, comically moving away from her window and then returning to it, a puzzled look on her face.

"But I- What are you- Why do you need to come in?" her words were a jumbled mess, a dozen thoughts running through her mind too quickly for her decipher one from the other.

"I need to hide, just please."

Chloe's hands reached without her permission and pulled the window up; a fumbling Beca Mitchell jumped in and closed it behind her, almost knocking a bewildered Chloe off balance.

"I TP'ed Mr. Harold's house and now he's checking the street."

Beca's voice was calmer than it was outside; it even had a slight amusement to it.

"Why did you TP his house?" Chloe mumbled quietly.

Beca smirked before she replied, "Because he gave me an F and the guys kind of dared me."

"Do you usually do what the guys say?"

The words were out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop them. Chloe had noticed Beca was the first person take up the role of class clown when she was encouraged by her friends. The redhead had spotted the falseness to her smile when Beca did it and that made her curious.

"No, but you have to admit Mr Harold is a dick" she shot back with a frown.

It was true, the science teacher was known for his harsh grading and constant bad mood.

"Yeah, I guess that's true" she smiled.

Beca took in her surroundings, looking around Chloe's room. She moved away from the window and not so elegantly threw herself down on the bed. Her hands reached for the many sheets of paper scattered around the laptop, giving them a quick scan. Chloe was suddenly walking forward, pulling them from Beca's grasp and moving them onto her desk.

"So, what you doing?" Beca asked with an upbeat smile, making herself more comfortable.

"You mean before you demanded I let you into my bedroom?" Chloe shot back with a smile of her own.

Beca laughed.

"I didn't demand; I'll have you know I said please" Beca reminded, "...Besides many girls would be more than thrilled to have me sat on their bed" she added mischievously, tapping at the empty space beside her.

Chloe's face turned a slight shade of red, before she took the other girls hint and took a seat; a healthy gap in between them.

"Where are your friends?"

She shrugged, "I don't know and I don't really care."

Chloe nervously pulled at the hem of her pyjama top, before she brought her knees up to her chest.

"So are you going to Kenny's party tomorrow night?" Beca asked, kicking off her shoes.

Chloe noted her grey socks with green dinosaurs on them before responding, "No, I didn't get invited."

Beca crossed her legs underneath her, before lightly poking the redhead's side, "Yeah, well I'm inviting you right now, so are you coming?" she asked with a smile.

Chloe didn't know what to say, unsure as to whether she was being asked out of pity or not.

"I don't know" she mumbled out, eyes cast on the window Beca had entered through ten minutes ago.

"C'mon, Chloe, I never see you at the parties! I think you should go" the brunette reasoned, shuffling a little closer.

"You notice?" she almost whispered, whipping her head round to face a grinning Beca.

"Um, yeah!" she replied, with a tone that seemed to say "duh."

Chloe smiled back at her, "Why do you notice?" she asked quietly, her tone unsure.

There was a pause and the redhead began to internally berate herself for asking, Beca's facial expression unreadable.

"I don't know, I guess I just do. Why, is that so hard to believe?"

She didn't have an answer for that one and instead decided on remaining quiet.

"C'mon, you haven't questioned how I knew this was your house yet?" Beca asked with a smirk.

No, Chloe hadn't.

"I think I notice you a lot more than you think, Chloe."

The redhead let her knees settle back onto the bed, as she turned to face the girl sitting besides her wearing a look she hadn't seen before.

"Come to the party tomorrow night with me?" Beca asked confidently, a smile pulling at her lips. "I'll pick you up, we could get something to eat first if you want?" she nudged Chloe's leg with her own.

"You want to go with me?"

"Yeah, Chlo, I only want to go with you."

 **XXX**


	28. 28 - The Ultimatum

**Prompt: "Established Bechloe – They are in the middle of separation because Beca is a workaholic and doesn't make time for their marriage."**

 **So if I slightly changed this prompt, does it still make it a prompt? Hmm...**

 **Established Bechloe, they aren't married and it's before they "separate"/break –up. Sorry, #teamhilarioustrex ...**

 **The Ultimatum**

Upon leaving college, Beca remained at Residual Heat and slowly made her way up one promotion at a time – which wasn't many. Eventually after four years of fetching coffee, answering phones and 'warming up' vocal booths, the DJ finally walked away with two of the company's former employees, opening her own recording studio and launching a new label.

After a year of managing all of the business duties mostly singlehandedly, Beca thought she maybe out of her depth. The money was slowly drying up and countless hours were spent organising recordings, scouting for talent, advertising, as well as working on her own music – it was safe to say, Beca took her work home with her every night and it didn't go unnoticed by her girlfriend.

"Beca, are you even listening to me?"

She heard those words a lot recently, without paying attention to the previous ones uttered before them.

"Yes, of course."

That was no longer a sufficient answer.

After an emotional love confession two weeks shy of graduation, Chloe and Beca had left college as a couple, moving into their already organised apartment and starting their new relationship. As far as Beca was concerned, the moment she had uttered those three words to her best friend after a Bella's practise, her life was perfect. There was no more need to worry about feelings being reciprocated or fear her own impulsive actions and desires; Chloe Beale was someone she could finally call hers and know for sure the other woman was as in love with her as she was.

Chloe was nothing but supportive when Beca decided to take a huge risk and face potential "career suicide", helping her to remain positive and pursue her dreams. Chloe had a trust and belief in Beca and her talent she had never experienced before and if it wasn't for her, the DJ never would have had the courage to take the leap and actually pursue it.

"No, you're not because you never listen anymore. If you're not here, you're at work and when you are here, you're mind is still _at work_!"

Chloe was looking at Beca expectantly, causing the younger woman to falter under her gaze.

"Chlo, you know I've got a lot on my plate" she sighed, unable to look the visibly angry redhead in the eye.

"That has been your excuse for the past eleven months. You don't talk to me anymore and you never listen. Why can't you understand I want you to put me before the studio, just fucking once?"

"C'mon, you know it's not as simple as that."

"But it is! I'm not asking you to stop the overtime or reduce your workload, all I'm asking for is you pay me some attention for a couple of hours. I've supported you the moment you told me about the label but where's my support, Beca?"

"I'm sorry, I know the current situation isn't ideal but I've come too far with this to fail now. I just need to get the word out and find some new talent to generate some noise about the studio and the label and I'm so close, so close I can almost touch it! I just need a couple more weeks and it will be better; I'll be better - for you and for our relationship."

Chloe stopped pacing and her expression softened. She spent a few seconds still and unresponsive before she joined Beca back on the couch with a long sigh. The brunette picked up her phone from the cushion and waved it in the air.

"I'm turning this off for the whole evening. You're going to make the popcorn whilst I put the movie on. Then after that we'll just talk; about you, your day, what you had for lunch, which kid you hate in your class, I want to know everything!"

The redhead cracked a smile at that, before nudging her shoulder, "I've told you so many times I don't hate any of the kids in my class."

Beca smirked, "Yeah and I keep telling you I don't believe you."

She placed her arm around her girlfriend's shoulders and pulled her nearer, enjoying the feeling of closeness she hadn't experienced for a while. She knew Chloe was right, work always came first; their relationship was everything and she had promised back in Barden that she would be the best possible version of herself, because Chloe deserved that, but right now she was lacking.

"Forget the movie and popcorn; can we just sit here for a while?" Chloe asked quietly.

Beca hummed in agreement and whispered a genuine apology against Chloe's skin, placing a soft kiss to her temple, as they both relaxed further into the embrace.

 **XXX**

A couple of weeks after she had told Chloe she needed time to close the deal with a potential new artist, the contract signing had fallen through, leaving Beca high and dry and strapped for cash to put back in the business. After a quick brainstorm, the DJ decided if she couldn't find new talent, she would have to do it herself, resulting in Beca slumped over the desk in her home office working on yet another mix.

It felt like it did back in college to begin with, but the added pressure of the success of her company, Beca was a much harsher critic of her own work and regarding every track as unworthy and mediocre.

She let out a sigh, rubbing circles into her temples in an attempt to soothe her thoughts and fend off the tiredness. A pair of hands were wrapping themselves around her shoulders and pulling the headphones off her ears.

"Babe, come to bed."

Chloe's breath was hot on her neck and the huskiness to her voice caused the corners of her mouth to turn upwards. She closed her eyes for a second, breathing in Chloe's familiar warmth and scent.

"I need to finish this" she whispered, her lips finding Chloe's hand.

"Beca, just come to bed with me..."

The impatience and annoyance was audible in Chloe's tone. Beca wanted to close her laptop and follow her girlfriend to bed more than anything but tomorrow's workload was busy enough as it was, she needed to work out these kinks in this track tonight and finally lay something down in the studio.

"I really need to get this done for tomorrow, Chlo."

The redhead instantly removed her arms, the coldness harshly rushing through Beca's body.

"You said you'd try and this..." Chloe slammed down the lid of her laptop "...isn't you trying."

Beca took a deep breath before turning her chair. The piercing blue eyes staring back at her appeared glassy and damp, making Beca feel even worse.

"I know but if I don't come up with something soon I'm not going to have any money to run the studio. I've told you already, failing is not an option."

"Failing isn't an option when it comes to your career, but failing in our relationship, that's OK is it?" Chloe shouted storming out of the office and down the hallway not even waiting for a reply.

Beca was on her feet and following her path to their bedroom, stopping once she caught sight of Chloe, sat turning away from her on the other side of the bed.

"Is that how you feel? I'm failing us- you?" she asked unable to keep the vulnerability out of her voice.

"Yeah, Beca, that's how I've felt for a while but you haven't even noticed" the redhead sniffled, running a hand through her hair.

"Chloe, I-"

Before she could continue, the phone stuffed in her back pocket was vibrating, the ringing filling the once quiet room.

Chloe turned sharply, before shooting Beca a look.

"Don't answer it."

Beca pulled the device from her pocket, her eyes roaming over the screen and widening at the name. It was unusual for her assistant to be calling this late.

"Beca, please just ignore it and talk to me. Just sit down and actually listen to how I feel, please" she begged, moving from the bed and in front of the shorter woman with a pleading look in her eyes.

"It's not like Kate to call out of the blue" Beca reasoned.

"If you answer that, we're done, Beca. I mean it; I can't be second to your job anymore."

The younger woman took one last look at Chloe, her eyes filled with sadness and a hundred apologies before they rested back to the screen.

"Hey, Kate, can this wait until tomorrow? I'm kind of in the middle of something?" she spoke into the receiver.

Chloe smiled bitterly, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"What? When did this happen?"

And with that Beca was rushing out of the bedroom and back to her office, leaving a distraught Chloe sat on their bed.

When Beca returned twenty minutes later Chloe had already packed the majority of her clothes. The redhead gave the zip one last tug before she was lifting it from the bed and dropping it to the ground. The sound of the wheels clanking on the hardwood flooring had a sense of finality that made Beca feel uneasy. Her throat was dry and it was suddenly impossible to form words.

"I meant what I said. I can't love someone that doesn't put me first anymore. I hope everything works out with your label, Becs, I really do but I hope one day you realise what you lost in order to get it."

Beca followed Chloe down the stairs, her eyes filling with tears as she frantically reached for her arm, "Chloe, please don't leave, I'm sorry, OK? I can't let you go, I love you!" she urged, standing in between her girlfriend and the door.

"Beca, please move" her voice was shaky, a look of beseech on her face. The tears were spilling from her eyes now as she pulled her hand back and out of Beca's grip.

"No, Chloe-"

The redhead was pushing her aside almost forcefully before pulling the handle and rushing out of the door. Beca watched as the woman hoisted her bag into the car and drove away down the street. There was a tightening in her chest and a crushing feeling coursing through her body. The world she was standing in seemed to be falling apart around her.

This time last year, the younger woman would have put Chloe above everything, why had she been so stupid these past twelve months? Why did she drive the love of her life away?

A recording studio and a record label didn't even come close to the love of her life. So why had she let it come between them?

The tears were spilling free, loud sobs wracking her body, Chloe was gone and Beca had a horrid feeling she wasn't going to come back.

 **XXX**


	29. 29 - Radio Silence

**Radio Silence**

When Chloe had leaned into Beca on hood night informing her they were going to be "fast friends", she wasn't sure what Chloe had meant. It seemed now - six months later - Beca was beginning to understand; in the form of long hugs, good morning texts, kisses on cheeks just because and many late night study sessions at their favourite diner.

Chloe Beale had well and truly barged into Beca's life with a bold warning she had shrugged off and somehow Beca was completely OK with that.

She was currently working her fourth night shift in a row at the radio station and queuing as many songs as possible in preparation for Chloe's arrival. The redhead's company and take out was a new development during her shifts but Beca was never opposed to it – she had even given Chloe her spare key card to the front door (OK, that might be breaking a very important rule, but when Chloe asked, Beca never said no.)

The moment Beca caught sight of Chloe pushing open the door she tried to control the butterflies in her stomach - the butterflies that were occurring a lot more frequently around the other woman. She was carrying their take out and wearing a goofy grin as she made her way over to the booth, causing Beca to wheel her chair over to open the door.

"You're not allowed in if you didn't bring me coffee" she frowned, leaning over to pull the door slightly ajar, but not quite wide enough for Chloe to get through.

"I have coffee" Chloe assured with a serious look on her face and passing the cup through the small space of the door.

Beca took it with a grin, flinging the door open and pushing off the cupboard to wheel her chair back to the desk.

"Alright, come on in."

 **XXX**

Four hours into her shift and Beca was polishing off her sixth cup of coffee and cracking open a can of Redbull.

"You know that stuff isn't good for you, right?" Chloe asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Beca took a long swig before settling the can down next to the mixing board.

"Yep, but it literally keeps me going through the nightshift" she replied, tracking her finger along the laptop's mouse pad.

Chloe leaned forward, giving Beca's chair a light shove with her foot, "Yeah and that's why I'm here and I'm certain I'm better company than an energy drink."

"Hmm, I don't know, it tends not to speak as much" the DJ retorted with a smirk, eyes glued to the screen in front of her.

The redhead rose to her feet, collecting the litter from their food on the desk with her back to Beca, "Well I guess I better get going then, I'll leave you and your Redbull alone" she sighed with a knowing smile.

Before she could turn to leave, hands were on her hips and pulling her backwards and onto Beca's knee, "...Or you could just stay and shut up" she whispered into Chloe's ear, feeling the other woman's laughter vibrating against her chest.

Chloe didn't reply and she didn't move either. Beca finally realised the position she had gotten herself into, thankful the redhead couldn't see the blush rushing to surface of her cheeks. When it came to Chloe, Beca was a lot more open than she normally would be and there were many different factors of the other woman's personality that caused that. It seemed there was a warmness and sense of comfort that resonated deep with Beca and it wasn't until a couple of weeks ago she realised why that was.

The nervousness, the excitement before they met up and the butterflies were all warning signs of a crush developing but Beca were too engrossed in the redhead to shut her out in order to prevent it from developing. She would find herself getting lost in her presence, which explained why she had absentmindedly pulled Chloe into her lap without so much as a second thought; until it happened and she was no longer able to back pedal or take it back.

"What does this do?"

Chloe's voice disrupted her thoughts and suddenly Beca was hyperaware of the switch the redhead was about to touch. She quickly stilled her hand and pulled it back so it was resting on her knee.

"Dude, please do not touch that, ever"

The hand Beca still had a hold of was surging forward again, causing her to keep a tight hold of it. Chloe was laughing mischievously before Beca was poking her in the side.

"I really want to keep this job" she said through gritted teeth, feigning anger.

Chloe turned slightly, pressing a kiss to Beca's cheek with a wide smile.

The first time she kissed Beca on the cheek, the younger woman couldn't help but turn a rather scarlet shade of red and pull away quickly; she tried not to over think the hint of hurt in her friend's eyes. The pair stopped on their walk back to campus, the cold air of the evening settling around them before she nervously stammered out a confused "What was that for?"

Chloe stepped a little closer, before shrugging her shoulders with a smile.

"I don't know, just because, I guess."

The truth was Beca had never been kissed on the cheek "just because" before. It was new and unusual, but the way the redhead's lips grazed her skin made her wish Chloe would do it again in the future.

"Just because?" Beca repeated with a bewildered smile on her face.

Chloe let out giggle as she took looped her arm with hers and tugged Beca to walk forward.

"Yeah, do you never get that feeling of appreciation for someone or something at a random moment and just want to let them know?" she asked matter-of-factly.

"Um, I don't know, I've never really thought about it before" Beca replied falling in step with Chloe.

"Well, I do, quite often, so that's what that was."

Beca turned to face the redhead with a grin and a nod of the head, "I have seriously never met anyone like you before, Beale."

She shrugged it off with a laugh and a shoulder bump, but Chloe's reasoning that night was probably when the 'crush' started.

Chloe was swiftly turning back around on her lap and taking a swig of the recently opened energy drink.

"You know that stuff isn't good for you, right?" she smirked, throwing Chloe's own words back at her.

"Shhh you and show me how to work this stuff" the redhead fired back, gesturing to the laptop and mixing board in front of them.

Beca leaned forward, pulling the chair closer to the desk, as she placed her hands around Chloe for easy access to the laptop.

"Alright, so this is the music I'm going to play..." she said, hovering the mouse over a list of songs on the lower half of the screen, "...and this is the song that is currently being played and because I've queued things already, I basically don't have to do anything" she said, watching Chloe's shoulders drop, picturing the disappointment on her face.

"Beca!" Chloe shouted, reaching for the same button she was warned not to touch.

"Alright, jeez, I'll show you!"

After explaining what the buttons and switches did what, Chloe was already lining up a new song and waiting to play the radio's required jingle in between. The redhead was hastily fluttering her hand over the board and focussing on the track countdown to the end of the song, whilst Beca was slowly moving a slider up. She ghosted her hand over Chloe's, before resting it atop and helping the redhead press the button at the exact moment.

Beca kept a hold of Chloe's hand and directed it to another slider, before they both pushed the piece of plastic upwards. The older woman turned to look at Beca, catching her in a moment of great concentration; Chloe smiled fondly before their eyes met.

"You could potentially be the fifth weirdo that works here" Beca joked as the opening vocals of Reef's 'Place Your Hands' filtered through the headphones resting on her right ear. Chloe was turning her hand still in Beca's and interlocking their fingers together with a smile the DJ hadn't seen before. She had a feeling Chloe was leaning closer...

...and then there was a loud screeching through her headset and the booth fell in complete darkness.

Beca quickly pushed the headphones from her ears with a loud "shit" and felt Chloe's hand tightly squeeze hers.

"Did I break it?"

Chloe's breath tickled her cheek and Beca realised perhaps the redhead _was_ leaning in closer a mere three seconds ago. She let out a light chuckle and rested her hands on the woman's hips before she began standing up.

"No, I think the power is out" she thought aloud, pulling the phone out of her back pocket and turning on the flashlight.

"But what about your show?" Chloe asked worriedly.

"It's fine, there is a generator that keeps the feed going, I just can't queue anymore songs, but I already had enough to last until the end of my shift anyway" Beca assured with a soft smile.

The younger woman made her way to the door with Chloe not too far behind and pulled the handle.

"Shit, it's locked!"

Chloe looked at her puzzled, causing Beca to pull at the key card in her pocket and wave it in the air. "It's all electronic, Chlo."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh" Beca deadpanned, searching the room for something to help their situation, but unsure of what. When she came up empty, she blew the air from her cheeks and shrugged at the woman before her.

"So, what now?"

 **XXX**

Beca had guided Chloe up the stairs and led her to the ridiculously worn sofa in the corner under the skylight. The bright light of Beca's phone shone from the table, casting shadows of the record shelves on the wall beside them.

"Can we dim this or something, I feel like you can see every detail of my face" Chloe joked, leaning forward and turning it over, face up on the table.

"I thought you were confident about _all that?"_ Beca challenged with a smirk.

"Yeah, I am, but some light isn't as flattering as others. For example, the lighting in your dorm showers isn't too bad, if you know what I mean?" she countered, dragging her eyes suggestively over Beca's body.

"Alright, OK, I get it" Beca sighed, with the shake of her head causing Chloe to laugh.

It seemed from the moment the lights went off, Beca couldn't stop thinking about what happened just before they lost power. It both looked and felt like Chloe was leaning in closer, but considering her angle and her 'crush', Beca could easily be jumping conclusions. The chances of Chloe kissing anything but her cheek were surely less than zero, right? It was no secret the redhead was a very tactful person with everyone, what made Beca any different from everyone else?

"What're you thinking about?" Chloe asked, bringing Beca out of her thoughts.

"Nothing, just wondering when the power will come back on; I'm not sure I can take being locked in a dark room with you anymore" she deflected.

Chloe gave her pointed stare, before a mischievous smile flickered over her face, "I'm not quite sure this is the dark room I had in mind for us."

"Oh yeah, thought about it a lot have you?" Beca quipped, thankful the light wasn't bright enough for Chloe to notice the possible rouge in her cheeks.

"Maybe..." she shrugged with a wink, "...I'm sure this green sofa would suffice" Chloe added.

"You never stop, do you?" Beca scoffed.

Chloe's eyes flickered to the sofa, "I don't know, wanna find out?"

Beca stood up abruptly, rolling her eyes, "OK, and on that note I'm going to raid Luke's secret stash."

After a couple of minutes, the DJ returned back up stairs to see Chloe shining a light at the records on the shelves.

"Alright, so all I found was an empty hip flask, a gift voucher to Chilli's and a blank postcard of the London Eye" she announced, making her way over to the record collection.

"So do you and Jesse actually know the order of the alphabet or do you just guess and hope for the best?" Chloe teased, rearranging the order of the shelf.

"Dude, do you know how many records are in here? Or better yet, do you know how many steps we had to climb to get up here?!" she exclaimed, pointing towards the banister.

Chloe rolled her eyes good naturedly and continued to move the records.

Beca watched as the redhead concentrated, trying to suppress the urge to kiss her on cheek.

She failed and gently pecked Chloe just above her jaw line, causing her to still her movements and look at her very much like Beca did on the walk back to her dorm a while ago.

"I had one of those moments of appreciation" Beca said simply, with a shrug.

Chloe was beaming back at her for a few seconds until the same smile from the DJ booth earlier was back on her face. There was a pause before she was stepping closer, placing a kiss of her own on Beca's cheek and lacing their fingers together.

The DJ was completely transfixed on her eyes unable to pull them away from the piercing blue ones staring back at her. Without much thought and even less hesitation, the shorter woman leaned in again and softly kissed Chloe's lips; it was quick and chaste, but there was a jolt of electricity surging through her body.

In return, the redhead reached for Beca's other hand and closed the distance once again, but this time she kissed Beca with purpose, her lips working over hers with a kind of hunger the other woman was never aware of.

Before the brunette's brain could catch up with her hands, she was gently pushing Chloe against the shelf; hands resting on hips as her thumb ran a circular motion over Chloe's bare skin. The redhead was now fisting her hand in Beca's shirt, pulling them even closer together and deepening the kiss with an appreciative hum when the DJ's hand was trailing up and down her thigh.

Suddenly the sound of music was filling the room and the lights glowing down on them – neither of them noticed though, as Chloe hands were tangling themselves in Beca's hair and her thigh finding its way to rest on Beca's hip.

The kiss was getting more heated than first intended, causing both women to slowly pull apart, remaining in their somewhat compromising position and searching each other's eyes.

"I think we should get locked in a dark room together more often" Beca ghosted over Chloe's lips and breaking the silence. Their breath mingled together, as Chloe let out a giggle and dropped her head onto the smaller woman's shoulder.

"Well, we can always just turn the lights off at my place?" the redhead replied, with a knowing smile.

 **XXX**

 **A/N:** **Thank you for the reviews lately, it's really nice to hear your thoughts and feelings on different chapters and I know it's more time consuming than just clicking fave or follow, so cheers for taking the time; much appreciated!**

 **Oh, side note; whenever I mention a song in my wiring it is seriously just whatever I'm listening to the moment I write the sentence, so if anyone thought Reef was a shit song choice, blame my shuffle...**


	30. 30 - Why Her?

**Why Her?**

Chloe was in a ball on the bed, tightly clutching her knees to her chest; an exhausted and sad attempt to hold herself together, but her continuous tries was no match for the gaping hole in her heart.

She closed her eyes, the tears still wet on her pillow, as the redhead inhaled the scent of the shirt held in her other hand and tried to ignore the banging on her apartment door. Aubrey had been outside; hammering on the piece of wood Chloe was sure couldn't possibly be a functioning door anymore.

She let out a shaky sigh, the stinging of her eyes reminding her of how much pain she felt throughout her body. The phone beside her began to vibrate for what seemed like the umpteenth time, as it finally moved further along the drawers and dropped onto the floor.

Chloe didn't even attempt to stop it or retrieve it once the device had fallen – moving hurt too much right now never mind actually having to speak. In all honesty, Chloe hadn't spoken a single word for the past four days, instead she just cried, sobbed, wailed and wept before retreating to her bed and restarting the process.

"Why her?"

They were the words that had kept her awake for the most part of the last few days and had caused so much heartbreak she was surprised she wasn't numb.

"Why her?" she mumbled into the plaid shirt, the tears sliding down the already present dry tear stains on her cheeks.

Beca was twenty-six years old, she had a career, great friends; she had Chloe. She was in the prime of her life, a genuinely good and caring person who was loved by many.

"WHY HER?!" she screamed into the pillow, ignoring the chiming of her phone and the persistent knocking on her door.

"WHY BECA?!"

The knocking stopped.

So did the phone.

All was silent again, but Chloe couldn't silence the hurt and grieve inside her.

Beca Mitchell was gone.

 **XXX**

" _So we're having dinner at Aubrey's tonight still?" Beca asked, sitting up in bed, her eyes fixed on Chloe as she got dressed into her running gear._

" _Yeah, you're not working late, are you?" came the response muffled by the tank top over her head._

" _No, I've basically finished producing the album, I just need give it one last listen and then send it off for review because apparently big shot recording artists have their own sound system to listen to it on" she deadpanned with a roll of her eyes._

 _Chloe smiled with the shake of her head as she moved closer to Beca's side of the bed and leaned over to peck her lips._

" _And those big shot recording artists help pay half of our bills, so..."_

 _Before the redhead could make for the door, Beca was pulling her closer and into her lap with a certain grin Chloe was more than familiar with._

" _Do you have to go for a run this morning?" she asked between kisses to the other woman's neck. "We could both do cardio without leaving the room."_

 _Fingers were curling under the waist band of Chloe's shorts as she leaned into Beca's touch. The other hand was snaking around her lower back, Beca's kisses slowly moving lower down to her chest and causing her breath to hitch._

" _You used that excuse yesterday and I missed out on my workout" she breathed, trying to remain immune to Beca's persuasion._

 _The younger woman stopped her movements before looking up. There was a glimmer of mischief in her eyes before she quickly surged forward, pushing Chloe's back onto the bed with her hands pinned above her head._

" _Well clearly we didn't work hard enough" she mumbled, the legs around Chloe's waist squeezed a little harder as she softly tugged at the taller woman's earlobe with her teeth._

" _That sounds like a challenge?" Chloe hummed, feeling her resolve breaking._

" _Shall we start with a warm up?"_

 _As soon as the words were spoken, Chloe felt Beca stiffen before bringing panicked eyes back to hers._

" _God that was bad" she sighed, causing the redhead to burst out with laughter._

" _Extra points for sticking with the theme?" Chloe offered once she had sobered._

 _Beca smiled and brought her lips back to hers._

 _There was something cute and endearing about Beca's shy and nervousness to Chloe. The younger woman had a very hard and emotionless exterior the moment they first met in college. Beca seemed confident, careless and unapproachable but when she was alone with Chloe, she became someone more entirely – caring, sensitive and selfless._

 _After eight years of knowing each other (four of them as a couple ) shy and nervous Beca didn't make an appearance that often but when it did Chloe found her heart swelling with love and the wide eyes and slight blush made it difficult for the redhead not to laugh._

 _The not so shy and innocent hands moving further south down her torso made Chloe lose her train of thought, her mind focusing on nothing but those very hands and their precise movements where she needed them most._

 **XXX**

Chloe stirred for a moment, slowly opening her eyes and allowing them to adjust to the dark surroundings of the bedroom. She stretched a little before turning over and placing her hand to the other side of the bed, searching for a sleeping Beca beside her. Once she felt the coldness of the sheets beneath it, she snapped open her eyes and remembered the events of the past four days. Suddenly her sleepy haze was replaced by a tight and harsh hurt as she yet again came to terms with everything.

Beca wasn't there and nor would she ever be sleeping beside her again.

Sleep did not come easy to the redhead anymore and once it did she dreamed about her girlfriend - the memories of a chaste kiss, a light touch, a warm embrace or a ridiculously 'Beca' joke would fill her subconscious. The minute she opened her eyes, half asleep and dazed, Chloe would forget the reality of her situation. It was a mere sixty seconds of how things were, until it was quickly snatched away and replaced with an overwhelming feeling of emptiness.

Chloe felt for one of Beca's old plaid shirts in between the sheets before she shuffled over to the opposite side of the bed, tightly hugging the piece of clothing to her chest and inhaling the scent of Beca's shampoo still lingering on her pillow. She stayed there for a while, numb and motionless unable to think of anything other than the love of her life that was so suddenly taken away from her.

It seemed like hours had passed before Chloe sat up on the edge of the bed. The bottom of her foot collided with the abandoned phone that had fallen off the bedside the last time it rang. She reached down and picked it up; the home screen instantly lighting up to display the time and wallpaper.

A picture of her and Beca shone back at her; a weekend away at Chloe's parents house last year. Beca had her arm draped over Chloe's shoulder with a goofy grin on her face, as the redhead was pressing her lips to Beca's cheek. She remembered that night as if it were yesterday; Chloe's family had held a barbecue in their backyard with a more than generous helping of alcohol. Both women had gotten quite drunk - Beca considerably more than Chloe - and the picture staring back at her was photo evidence of her girlfriend unable to handle her wine.

Beca had hated Chloe using it as her wallpaper but Chloe saw through it; Beca had the same photo as the desktop background on her laptop.

The redhead looked at it a while longer, her eyes tracing every feature on Beca's face, before they moved to examine the background intently and then back to the younger woman's smile. Chloe was sure the tears filling the corners of her eyes would drip down her cheeks, but before they did, she angrily threw the device against the bedroom wall, hard.

The moment it bounced off the wall and onto the floor, Chloe was on her feet racing over to it and scrambling to pick it up. Once it was tightly in her grasp, she moved closer to the drawers at Beca's side of the bed and repeatedly smashed the already broken phone down against the edge.

The tears were in full force now causing her vision to blur, the words 'why her?' repeated over and over again in her mind each time the glass screen collided with the wood. Chloe couldn't suppress the furious scream leaving her lips as the rage and animosity she felt for Beca's death was delivered with each strike.

Once she lost her grip, her knuckles hit the drawers causing a shooting pain up her arm but it was nothing compared to the feeling of hurt in her chest. Chloe slumped down on the floor defeated. She leaned against the bed with laboured breath before putting her face in her hands.

"Why my Beca?" she pleaded desperately into them, "Why her?"

 **XXX**

 _Beca was leaning over the stove as she prepared breakfast. Chloe's eyes focussed on the long baggy t-shirt that was hanging around her mid thighs as she sat at the breakfast table. She took a swig of the orange juice Beca had already put in her place._

" _We don't have long until we have to get moving."_

 _Upon hearing Chloe's voice, Beca stilled before replying, "It's not my fault we got distracted" she mumbled and the redhead could already envision the smirk settling on her lips. Once Beca turned around with two plates, she made her way over to her fully dressed girlfriend._

" _Why are you dressed right now?" Beca asked, raising an eyebrow._

 _Chloe chuckled and shook her head, "You have a one track mind, Mitchell."_

 _Beca shot her a knowing look before putting the plates on the table and taking a seat._

" _So how long did they say your car would be in the shop?" the younger woman asked wrapping her mouth around the pancakes on her fork._

" _Why, are you already fed up of chauffeuring me around?" Chloe teased._

" _Never."_

 _Beca feigned shock, "But when it comes to time keeping, we're like polar opposites. I'm always late, you're always early – now I have to be early all the time" she winked._

" _Well it's ready to pick up on Friday morning, so you only have two more days to endure me in your car."_

" _Ah, so no more "goodbye, I'm going to work" sex in the parking lot anymore?" Beca joked._

" _Sex in a school parking lot, really, Beca?"_

" _Hey, if you want to, I'm totally down for that."_

" _See, one track mind!" Chloe yelled, pushing the last of the food around her plate with a smile._

 _Beca stood up taking the plates away and placing them in the sink with a chuckle. She brought the glass of orange juice to her lips and took a sip, as Chloe made her way over._

" _I love you" she whispered, interlocking her fingers with Beca's._

 _The brunette put her glass down, before reaching for the other hand, "And I love you" she replied, kissing Chloe's lips._

 _The redhead pulled away much too quickly for Beca's liking._

" _Oh and before I forget, you don't have to pick me up tonight. Bree said she'd take me to hers, so you don't have to drive back on yourself."_

" _OK, that sounds very much like Aubrey's logical thinking" Beca hummed thoughtfully, earning her a light slap to the arm._

" _God, you're so violent" she whined with a grin, "Right, give me a minute to get dressed and we can go and have sex in my car" she winked before rushing down the hall._

 _Chloe couldn't help but giggle at her antics, before she picked up the discarded glass and finished the last of Beca's juice._

 **XXX**

"What are you doing?" Jesse asked from the doorway of Aubrey's home office as she furiously scribbled a pen across a piece of paper.

It seemed Aubrey had exhausted every possible opportunity to see her best friend. She was well aware Chloe was hurting and she needed space in order to process what had happened, but that was almost five days ago and Aubrey hadn't heard from or seen Chloe since she drove her home on Wednesday night.

"Beca needs a funeral" was all Aubrey said before turning her attention back to the paper in front of her.

Jesse stood still for a moment, trying to ignore the punch to the chest that sentence delivered. Beca was never supposed to have a funeral, not yet anyway and it wasn't up to Aubrey to plan it. He took a hesitant step forward and walked over to his work-busy girlfriend.

His hands rested on her shoulders before he softly kissed her cheek.

"Aubrey, it's not up to you to plan it. Chloe should-"

The blonde whipped around in her chair, shrugging out of his touch and throwing her pen across the desk in frustration before cutting him off.

"Chloe hasn't even talked to me, Jesse. I don't even think she's gotten out of bed since I put her in it the other night - how the hell is Chloe going to plan a funeral in the state she's in?!"

Jesse let out a tired sigh before he moved to rest his weight on the desk. He crossed his arms over his chest fixing his eyes on the light of the hallway. The quiet buzz on the desk lamp filled the room, as Aubrey waited for the man to speak.

"I know this is tough. What's happened has been such a shock, for all of us but we can't even begin to imagine what Chloe's going through right now. Beca has been in Chloe's life for the past eight years in so many ways than she was in ours and to lose..." Jesse stopped, unable to finish his sentence without letting his emotions get the better of him.

Aubrey placed a comforting hand on his arm.

"I'm worried about her, Jess."

Jesse squeezed her hand gently.

"I know, she shouldn't be on her own right now but planning the funeral isn't your job, Bree. Not unless Chloe asks you to."

The woman smiled a sad smile before pushing her scribbled notes away from her as if to communicate she agreed. She was about to speak before Jesse spoke again.

"Look, I thought Chloe had a right to be on her own for a little while after she found out. I know you're her best friend and you mean well but I didn't want you to suffocate her, but now it's been five days, I think you should know the lady in the apartment below them has a spare key."

Aubrey sprung to her feet with a flash of anger on her face, "And you knew this the whole time?" she questioned sternly.

"Yeah, I should have told you" he whispered guiltily stepping away from the desk.

"Should have told me?! Jesse I've practically been camped out in the corridor of their apartment every day this week, I even rented a pair of ladders to climb up to her window. I've been worried sick about her and thinking all kinds of horrible things and you knew someone had a key all along?!"

Jesse reached out for her hands but they pulled away.

"I'm sorry."

Aubrey turned away and started rushing to the door.

"Where are you going?" he shouted after her.

"To check on my best friend, Jesse! Where else would I possibly be going?!"

 **XXX**

 _Chloe was sat on Aubrey's couch, the sound of her best friend and boyfriend teasing each other in the kitchen as they made dinner. The redhead was looking down at her phone, reading over the last message Beca had sent her from work._

 **BECA [18:37]: Sorry, babe just got out of work now. Turns out those big shot recording artists have a habit of changing their minds. I'm on my way now, looking forward to our car sex on the way home ;)**

" _What's so funny?" Jesse asked, taking a seat beside her._

" _Oh you know, just my girlfriend being a huge dork as usual."_

 _Jesse laughed before handing her a glass of wine, "Yep, sounds about right" he grinned, "Speaking of, I thought you had trained her to get places earlier these days?" he asked half joking, half not._

 _When it came to Chloe, Beca would pretty much do anything – so he wouldn't be too surprised if their current car sharing had made the younger woman change her ways and arrive in plenty of time._

" _She got caught up at work but she's on her way now" Chloe smiled, locking the phone in her hand and placing it on the sofa arm._

" _Good, because I totally owe her a beer" he exclaimed, "Did you know she fixed my mix board at work? Like, spent a full three hours rewiring the whole system and I didn't even ask" Jesse stressed with raised eyebrows._

" _Yeah, she mentioned it the other day. Apparently, she owed you?" Chloe questioned._

 _Jesse shook his head with a smile, "College Beca would never owe me anything, I think you've been rubbing off on her for the past I don't know how many years" he laughed, lightly bumping Chloe's shoulder._

 _Before she could reply, Aubrey was loudly cursing in the kitchen._

" _Duty calls" Jesse winked, standing up._

 _The rest of the night was a blur for Chloe. The curiosity at the lack of Beca's present developed into worry and the many calls that were sent straight to voicemail turned that worry into fear. Aubrey had tried her best to calm her best friend with reassurance, first with the typical "She's probably stuck in traffic" and then "I bet she's just stuck at work."_

 _The words were doing anything but reassuring Chloe. Beca would call or text, the fact that she hadn't heard from her girlfriend caused her to panic even more; it was so unlike her not to call._

 _Eventually, Jesse was putting on his jacket, assuring his girlfriend and her best friend he'd drive by the studio because he was "more than certain that's where she'll be."_

 _Just as he grabbed the keys off the table there was a knock on the door and all of Chloe's worries and fears were confirmed in the form of two solemn looking uniformed police officers. The older woman didn't register they're address nor did she remember if she replied or if Aubrey did it for her, but she more than remembers the sentence that took the breath from her lungs._

" _Beca was in an accident."_

 _It seemed the rest of the world turned to silence and sounds were replaced by a ringing in her ears. There was this horrid feeling swelling in the pit of her stomach as the officer continued to speak._

" _I'm sorry, she didn't make it."_

 _Chloe slumped all of her weight onto Aubrey who was standing beside her. Her eyes were watering and it seemed upon hearing those words the colour was sucked out of vision, everything replaced with a black and white film and Chloe grew breathless._

" _No, she's just running late" she mumbled more to herself than anyone else._

" _She text me not so long ago, Beca is just at work or stuck in traffic. You've got the wrong house. Beca is fine. We're going to have dinner and she's going to drive me home and-"_

 _Chloe's rambling was cut short, as Aubrey's arm around her shoulders acted as a sharp pull into reality._

" _She's just running late" she repeated, her sad blue eyes pleading with Aubrey's green ones for her to agree._

" _Chloe, I'm so sorry" was the only response she got. The redhead was falling to her knees, the tears spilling down her cheeks as she let out a waling noise she had never made before. Chloe was unable to hold her own weight and unable to form a single thought or string a sentence together._

 _Beca wasn't dead._

 _She couldn't be._

 _They were going to be together forever; Beca had promised her that._

 _Chloe couldn't face a life without Beca._

 _ **XXX**_

Aubrey was cautiously making her way up the stairs, the spare key to Chloe and Beca's apartment in her hand. She paused for a moment at that thought; perhaps it was just Chloe's apartment now. She continued to walk, getting further down the corridor and closer to the sixth door from the stairs.

Before turning the key in the lock, Aubrey hesitated and tightly shut her eyes for a moment. The blonde was unsure of what was going to be on the other side of the door and the worst possible scenarios were rushing through her mind.

She clung to the hope of earlier. After another failed attempt to get her best friend to open the door, Aubrey was sure she had heard her yell something. It sounded bitter, angry, and distraught but she knew it was definitely Chloe's voice, even if the words were muffled by the door.

The drive back to this very apartment after the police had informed them a few days ago, Chloe hadn't spoken a word. Aubrey just remembers the look of pure heartbreak on her face and the way the taller woman had to literally steer her to the apartment building and physically put her in bed.

The need to know if Chloe was OK became too strong and Aubrey was hastily turning the key and opening the door. She shut it quietly, before looking around the living room and kitchen; it looked exactly the same since the last time she was here, right down to the dirty plates in the sink from the Wednesday morning.

"Chloe?" she called out softly, making her way to the bedroom down the hall in darkness, too afraid to turn the lights on.

Once she rounded the corner, Aubrey caught sight of the redhead sat on the floor, her knees tightly pressed to her chin as she stared at something in front of her.

"Chlo?" she asked again.

The redhead didn't even react to her presence, her eyes still fixed on the ground.

A few steps closer and Aubrey realised Chloe was in fact staring at her phone, completely shattered and broken beyond repair. She kneeled down next to her best friend, ignoring the lump in her throat.

"Chlo, please look at me."

Chloe turned her head; at first her expression seemed hard and angry, but it changed. Her lip quivered as tears filled her eyes and she lunged forward, clutching at the material of Aubrey's jacket.

"Why her?" she sobbed, burying her face into her best friend's arm.

"Why did it have to happen to Beca? She promised me forever, Bree. Why couldn't we be forever?"

Hearing the pain and desperation in Chloe's voice made the emotions Aubrey was trying so hard to surpass bubble over in the form of tears and quiet sobs. She tightly hugged Chloe, wishing she could take the pain away and wanting nothing more than Beca to walk through the bedroom door with that annoying smirk and fix her girlfriend.

Chloe Beale smiled almost every minute of every day and Aubrey had a horrible feeling now Beca was gone, she had taken that smile with her.

"I don't know why it was Beca, Chlo, but I wish more than anything it wasn't."

 **XXX**

 **A/N:** **So this angst fest happened. It was dark, it was morbid, it was borderline cruel but angst is kind of where my heart is when it comes to writing – sorry.**

 **Queue only fluff for the next few updates!**


	31. 31 - Wrong Time, Wrong Place

**Wrong (right) Time, Wrong (right) Place**

Chloe was sat in a crowded restaurant, her table for two wedged in between a family of four with a screaming toddler and an old married couple. The Mother from her left shot her yet another apologetic look as she tried to calm the child who was having another melt down about her peas touching the mashed potato on her plate. Chloe tried to communicate she understood but she was sure her facial expression was saying something else right now.

The redhead had been sat at this very table for the past twenty-five minutes waiting for her "date" to actually show up. Stacie had bragged about this "super hot" music producer she met in her old apartment building who was "totally" Chloe's type so much she eventually caved and agreed to the blind date Stacie was itching to set up.

Almost thirty minutes of waiting, a twenty dollar cab ride and two hours of getting ready wasted; Chloe began to gather her purse and phone from the table, intent on making her way home and calling Stacie the minute she walked through her door.

"Hey, Chloe, right?"

A breathless brunette was calling out as she rushed over to the table, causing Chloe to automatically sit back down. She isn't sure why she didn't just walk out there and then, but she believed in giving people the benefit of the doubt.

"Yeah. Beca?"

Beca pulled the leather jacket down her shoulders and quickly slid into the chair across from her.

"That's me, I kinda got caught up at-" she brought the glass of water that had been poured into a glass the moment Chloe sat down and hiked her thumb over her shoulder. Chloe waited patiently, until the woman didn't even bother to finish her sentence.

"So, have you ordered, or...?"

Chloe took a deep breath and decided to scan the menu in front of her in an attempt to calm her annoyance.

"No, I thought it would be polite to wait for my date" she said through gritted teeth, with an overly upbeat tone to her voice.

"Alright, cool" the brunette nodded, "So I guess with half an hour alone you've already read that menu extensively and you know what you want, right?"

Chloe wasn't sure if Beca was joking or being sarcastic, but either way she didn't appreciate it. Before she could respond, she was talking again.

"Do you mind if we, like, don't do starters? It's just I'm in a rush and I have to get back to that thing."

There was that thumb hiked over her shoulder again.

Chloe looked at her in astonishment, a complete utter disbelief in the rudeness of the woman before her, when a waiter was stood by the table asking for their order.

Beca immediately ordered a drink and downed it the moment it was set on the table and then proceeded to order another one without even bothering to ask Chloe if she wanted a refill.

"No, I'm fine for a drink, thank you" she muttered under her breath watching as Beca checked her phone for hundredth time since she arrived. If the music producer heard her, she didn't bother to acknowledge it out of ignore or lack of actually caring.

She typed something into her phone, before she broke the silence.

"So, what do you do, Chloe?" she asked, without even taking her eyes from the screen in her hands.

"I teach music" the redhead said flatly, downing the last of her drink.

"What, like at a school?" Beca asked, finally parting from the device and shoving it back in her pocket.

"Yeah, I teach at a middle school."

"Is that what you've always wanted to do or did you just end up falling into it?" she folded her arms on the table and leaned closer. For a moment it almost looked like she was genuinely interested in what Chloe had to say.

"I've always been really passionate about music. It's a connection I can never really explain but I've always felt this pull to it. Like, hearing one song can completely change my mood, you know? You're once horrible day at work can turn into the complete opposite once you hear that certain song or it could bring you to tears on the happiest day of your life if you listen close enough to get lost in it."

Beca smiled; an actual real smile and nodded with a sense of strong conviction. Chloe noted the difference in her demeanour, she was finally engaged in the conversation, no longer searching for her phone or downing her drink and it made her think perhaps Beca had just made a bad first impression that could still be redeemed.

She snapped out of her thoughts, returning the bright smile back to Beca, before clearing her throat.

"Yeah, well I always wanted to teach, so teaching music was a no brainer."

If Chloe thought Beca was capable of redemption, she sure as shit couldn't have been anymore wrong. The one glimmer of hope from the fifteen minute mark of the date was shattered soon after. It seemed Chloe was on a blind date with a fish, who drank eight gin and tonics - yes, she counted – and proceeded to pay more attention to her phone than her date and ate her lasagne as quickly as possible. Beca even had the audacity to ask Chloe if she could "hurry up eating" because she had "somewhere to be."

Chloe felt as though she was making all the effort to actually start a conversation, which usually ended abruptly as she would be interrupted by a text tone or a drunken belch. The redhead spent the entire time wishing she had just walked out the moment she stood up when Beca arrived.

The music producer polished off the last of her drink the very moment a waiter was taking away Chloe's plate.

"Right, so do you want me to pay?" her tone seemed begrudged.

"No, I'd rather just-"

Before she could finish Beca was leaning forward and empty the contents of Chloe's glass.

"Great, thanks. It was nice to meet you and everything but like I said I've got to jet, so... Bye."

And with that Beca was picking up her jacket and power walking out of the restaurant, her phone quickly pressed to her ear.

Chloe watched in dismay before she finished the end of her sentence aloud "...I'd rather just pay for my own meal and drinks..."

Stacie was never setting her up on a blind date ever again.

 **XXX**

Beca settled down into her window seat, scrolling through the playlist she had created in the airport lounge. As she was resting her headphones onto her ears, a couple with a baby walked down the aisle and Beca had no shame in chanting "Don't sit next to me" repeatedly as they continued their walk further down the plane. She let out a sigh of relief, pushing play on the volume control of the headset.

Ten minutes later and two people settled in the seats beside her, the plane was making its way to the runway and the pilot's voice amplified through tenor. Beca blocked it out, as she currently battled with the teenager beside her in an attempt to commandeer the arm rest on her right.

About two hours and after a forty minute nap Beca was ready to stretch her legs and was excusing the people on her row of seats politely. A quick glance at the redhead on the end caused Beca to falter for a moment; she was sure she looked familiar.

The music producer shook the thought away, continuing her route down the plane but couldn't help steal side glances at her the moment she returned to her seat.

It was probably around the fifth hour of the flight when Beca had an epiphany. The redhead sat on the aisle was in fact one of Stacie's friends.

 _Carla? Catharine? Clara? No, wait, Chloe! Her name is Chloe._

Beca remembers the date she made the other woman endure a month or two ago. It was an absolute car crash from the moment she arrived late. Beca was the one at fault that night, utterly and completely - in fact, she found herself thinking back to that evening with a sense of regret and shame.

The brunette wasn't in a great place when she agreed to Stacie's blind date who was "super hot" and "totally" her type. It seemed the taller brunette wasn't taking no for an answer and after a lot of convincing, Beca finally caved; purely because Stacie had told her Chloe was really looking forward to it.

Beca wasn't.

At that moment in time, Beca had just split up with her girlfriend, someone she considered she was deeply in love with. She couldn't help but let out a scoff at that, god how stupid she had been. After Jen had ripped out her heart and basically stomped on it, they entered into a toxic and fucked up cycle of ignoring each other during the day and sleeping together after Jen had failed to secure a meaningless hook-up on the weekends.

The passion of their former nights together was still there but it had changed; it was no longer loving or intimate and instead rushed and almost animalistic. It didn't help that Beca had to get drunk before hand in order to suppress the tears she was sure would fall if she wasn't wasted the minute Jen knocked on her door.

Beca was still in love with her, so much so she was blind to see how the other woman was using her for sex. It was a really fucked up situation that put Beca off dating for a long time. Once she had come to her senses, her mind would often wander back to her blind date with Chloe and the scolding she received off Stacie the next day.

She hoped Chloe hadn't noticed her because Beca wasn't sure she could have that conversation, especially with another three hours stranded in the air with nowhere to go other than the smelly restroom.

 **XXX**

Suddenly Beca was majorly aware of the lack of a teenager between them, potentially blowing her cover. She had caught Chloe glancing over a few times now and it was only a matter of time before she was experiencing the same epiphany Beca had an hour ago.

 _Where the hell is that kid?_

Beca finally pulled her headphones off, before boldly sliding into the newly vacant seat beside her.

She decided she was going to play this cool.

"Hey, I'm Beca" she offered her hand out, resting atop of Chloe's arm rest. The redhead turned to face her before nodding and making no signs of shaking her hand.

"Yeah, I know. I remember you."

Beca noted her tone was as annoyed as it had been the night of their previous date and she honestly couldn't blame her.

"Look, I just wanted to say I'm really sorry about our date that happened a couple months back. I know I wasn't very good company and I was rude and making you pay the bill was the biggest dick move ever. I really am sorry about it."

The music producer leaned further away, studying the other woman's facial expression; it seemed to softly slightly before Chloe was nodding.

"OK, well thanks for apologising but I'm not really interested in conversing anymore. I think we got to know each other well enough before" she replied, bringing her eyes back to the book on her knee.

"Stacie told me I really hurt your feelings and I probably should have called or texted or something to apologise. Anyway, I just wanted to say sorry."

Before Beca could shuffle back into her seat, Chloe was looking back up, "Hurt my feelings? You're so full of yourself, aren't you?"

"I-I just-what?" she stuttered out in disbelief. Beca may have decided to play this cool but perhaps Chloe hadn't.

"You are by far the rudest and most obnoxious person I've ever met and you think I'm going to just accept a crappy apology and chat for the rest of the flight?"

"No, that wasn't my intention at all, I just thought I'd be a decent person and apologise for my behaviour."

"Well don't bother and don't start thinking you had that much of an effect on my feelings either" the redhead warned, dropping her book onto the folding table and storming down the plane.

 _Wow._

Beca was not expecting that reaction; it was actually kind of hot. She was also strangely happy Chloe had stood up for herself, knowing she deserved every word.

Her eyes flickered to Chloe who hadn't gotten far and was currently pacing by the toilet door, her eyebrows furrowed together as she muttered something to herself. The look on her face seemed like a combination of the previous anger and a slight repentance. Her expression was rather cute.

 _Oh my god, what is happening to me right now?_

After a couple of minutes of waiting, Chloe returned, dropping down into her seat.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have blown up like that. I don't know what came over me" she breathed out nervously.

"Chloe..." Beca placed a hand on the other woman's arm, thankful to see it wasn't pushed away, "...It's fine; I deserved that."

The redhead smiled a small smile, unknowingly increases Beca's confidence, "Besides it was kind of hot" she added.

"Seriously, you're going to say that right now?" Chloe asked with another wave of anger in her voice. Beca scrunched up her face, ready for another scolding; it seemed Chloe was completely crazy; which was kind of appealing...

"Yeah, why not, right? I sure didn't pay you any compliments on our date."

And with that sentence, Beca had an idea.

"Hey, why don't you just remain natural for, like, thirty seconds whilst I give you all the compliments I owe you from that evening?"

Without even waiting for an answer, Beca gave a gentle squeeze to the arm still under her hand and plunged straight into the list she had created an hour ago whilst she contemplated apologising or not.

"First and foremost, you looked amazing in that black dress. I really liked the way you spoke about music, I don't think I've ever had someone sum up the feeling music gives me before but you just did it effortlessly..."

Chloe opened her mouth to speak but Beca cut her off, she really wanted to get this off her chest even if she wasn't one hundred percent sure why.

"... I thought the way you tried to make conversation with me the entire evening was actually really courageous because I think you knew I was a total dick the minute I sat down, but the fact that you tried to make the best of things actually had a very lasting effect on me. Your smile is like one hell of a thing, I don't think I've ever seen one as bright before."

"Beca-"

"And your eyes, dude, don't get me started. Oh and the way you calmed that kid down during takeoff was nothing short of magic I'm sure" she gestured to the sleeping toddler in the next row of seats beside them.

"And I really-"

Beca was quickly cut off by a palm pressed to her lips.

"Stop. Talking" Chloe said sternly, the signs of a smile tugging at her lips.

The brunette continued to speak, her words muffled by Chloe's hand. The redhead couldn't help but abandon her unfazed facade; a laugh spilling from her lips.

She held out her index finger, pointing it at Beca's face as a warning, before slowly removing her hand with raised eyebrows.

"And I think you're really hot when you're angry" Beca spat out quickly, Chloe's hand snapping back to her mouth playfully. The shorter woman raised her hands in surrender before Chloe was removing it again and the two started at each other in silence with smiles on their faces.

Eventually, Chloe broke the silence.

"You remembered the dress I wore?" her voice was timid.

Beca smiled at her, "Of course, how could I forget a dress like that?"

Chloe smiled shyly.

"Besides, I'm pretty sure you did the dress a favour" she winked.

"Do you-"

"Look, I'm really-"

They both spoke at the same time, causing both of them to lightly chuckle.

"Go on" Beca whispered.

"You were going to say you were sorry again, weren't you?"

Beca nodded, "Yeah. The thing is I wasn't ready for that date. I'd just got out of serious relationship and Stacie kept asking and asking; well you know what she's like, right?" she laughed as Chloe nodded.

"So I'm sorry if I did or didn't hurt your feelings" she smiled, lightly bumping the other woman's leg with her own.

Chloe returned the smile, "So I was going to ask if you wanted to start again?"

The redhead offered her hand out, before clearing her throat, "So I'm Chloe, it's nice to meet you."

Beca took the hand in hers and held it a little longer than necessary before smiling back at her.

And Chloe couldn't help but think back to the glimmer of hope she had felt during their date when Beca folded her arms on the table.

She really hoped Beca just seriously sucked at first impressions and first dates.

 **XXX**


	32. 32 - Hitch

**Prompt: "Chloe and Aubrey are road tripping and Beca is a hitchhiker - who else would pick up a gothy looking girl but Chloe?!"**

 **A/N –** **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters. All words and mistakes are those of my own.**

 **Now I've got that disclaimer out of the way – thanks for the stream of reviews lately! It's really cool to hear back from everyone and find out if I'm doing an almost decent job at this one shot business.**

 **On a completely different note, I was a little bit worried about posting chapter thirty, as shit got deep and I thought I might scare you all away, but then I saw people viewed my latest update and a breathed a sigh of relief, so cheers for sticking with it :).**

 **Anyways, I'll let you get to reading because as interesting as this authors note may be (it's not, I know), I'm aware you didn't come here for me to ramble on.**

 **Yes, I'm going now...**

 **Hitch**

Chloe was stretched out on the back seat with her bare feet partially resting out of the car window; the sound of The Beach Boys' "good vibrations" pouring out of her headphones.

When she first agreed to go on a road trip during summer break with her best friend Aubrey, Chloe thought they would have the time of their lives but so far, the redhead realised how much she had overlooked Aubrey's constant need for control.

The entirety of their trip so far had consisted of strict schedules, limited bathroom breaks, and a daily fixed budget and basically everything that sucked the fun out of the "epic roundtrip" Aubrey had proposed in the spring.

Chloe was a free spirited and impulsive person; she wanted to take a left instead of a right just to see where the road led or close her eyes and point to a state in the morning and just drive until they got there. Aubrey, however, had dismissed all of those ideas, deeming them dangerous and irresponsible. This was partly the reason Chloe was sat in the back and giving her best friend the silent treatment.

Well, maybe Aubrey wasn't speaking to Chloe either.

The redhead had sneaked out of their motel room late last night and hadn't returned until twenty minutes after the arranged time to leave in the morning. Chloe had spent the night in the bar across the street and had a little bit too much to drink. It's safe to say when she rocked up in the clothes from the night before and still drunk, Aubrey had well and truly; for the lack of better words; lost her shit.

Chloe jerked in her seat for what felt like the millionth time; she was sure Aubrey was purposely driving over the pot holes in the road in order to worsen the other woman's hangover. She caught Aubrey's eye in the rear mirror; they shared a pointed stare before Chloe let out a long sigh and closing her eyes in an attempt to catch up on some sleep.

 **XXX**

"Are we going to stop with the silent treatment now?" Chloe asked as they both took a seat in a empty corner booth.

Aubrey pulled at the straw in her milkshake before answering, "That depends, are you still drunk?"

Chloe shook her head, "Nope, but the hangover kicked in a while ago, does that sway your decision?"

Aubrey let out a laugh as she picked up one of the laminated menus with the diner's logo printed on the top, "Yes, it does. I was only angry because I was worried about you, you know?"

Chloe hadn't really thought about that. She didn't sneak off out of spite or to rebel; it was just she really wanted to let her hair down without Aubrey telling her what she could and couldn't do. Deep down, she knows the blonde means well but sometimes Chloe just wants to have that fifth vodka and coke and dance on the bar without Aubrey cancelling her drink order or pulling down on her arm.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't think how it would look but I swear I wasn't intending on staying out all night."

"I'm sorry for driving down all the potholes on the highway" Aubrey mumbled into her glass.

Chloe smiled with the shake of her head as she leaned over the table and lightly swatted her friend's arm, "I knew you were doing it on purpose!" she yelled, letting out a giggle at Aubrey's guilty expression.

They ordered their food and spent the next thirty minutes falling back into their usual chatter. Ever since they had met in their first year of college, the two had always found it too easy to slip back into regular conversation after a slight disagreement. The root of their bickers were always silly little things like leaving dirty laundry on their shared dorm room floor or being too loud when one (mostly Aubrey) was studying for an exam but it was always quickly resolved and forgotten; so by the time they had settled the bill and were making their way back to the car; both women were already laughing and joking.

"Right, we've got another six hour drive ahead of us, which means we'll arrive at around nine pm. It's later than I would have liked, but after this morning..."

Aubrey stopped herself as Chloe offered a half hearted glare and a smile.

"So..." the blonde dragged out the word, "...I thought we could take it in turns to drive. I'll do the first three and you do second, if you're not still intoxicated?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep, I'm all good; sounds great!" Chloe sing-songed opening up the passenger door and sitting in the seat.

The blonde nodded, before following suite and turning the key in the ignition.

"Jackson here we come!" Chloe cheered before instantly playing Johnny Cash through the stereo hooked up to her iPod.

 **XXX**

As planned, at the three hour mark of their journey, Aubrey pulled up at the side of the road and let Chloe take over the drive. Driving all day had been quite exhausting and the minute she got situated in the backseat, the blonde could feel her eyelids drooping.

It wasn't long until the soft hum of the engine lulled her to sleep.

Aubrey awoke to the sound of voices.

At first she assumed it was the radio and turned her head to rest in the crook of the seat and the door, taking note of the now dark road through the window before closing her eyes again. That was until she realised one of the animated voices definitely belonged to Chloe and the other one didn't seem to be a muffled voice through the phone.

The minute she focussed her eyes at the front of the car, the blonde was sitting upright with a jerk and widening her eyes at the new and very random person sitting in the passenger seat.

"Chloe, what the fuck?" Aubrey spat out quickly, pulling on the back of the redhead's seat and shouting very close to her ear.

Her eyes darted to the small brunette who mumbled a not too quiet, "the general is awake."

Aubrey furrowed her eyebrows together, unsure of how to respond, before finally frantically tapping her best friends shoulder, "Pull over right now!"

"Bree, just let me explain" Chloe reasoned before she was interrupted.

"Chloe, pull over the damn car!"

Her tone was angry and authoritive; it was the voice Chloe knew not to challenge, so she did as she was told and flicked the blinker before slowing down and gradually bringing the car to a halt. Before the vehicle was even fully stationary, Aubrey had whipped her door open and was purposefully making her way to the passenger side of the door and pulling at the handle.

"Out!" she demanded to the shocked brunette in the front seat, "Get out of the car or I will physically pull you out."

Before Aubrey could deliver on her threat, Chloe's hand was stilling her arm and pulling her away from the door, "Bree, just calm down for a second, will you?"

"Calm down?" she questioned throwing her hands in the air, "I let you drive for three hours and I wake up to a random Goth in the car?!"

The woman in the passenger seat let out an amused scoff, causing Aubrey's anger to peak. "Who even is she?"

Chloe gave her pointed stare before letting out a long sigh. "Can you please just stop shouting and let me speak?"

When Aubrey nodded, Chloe made her way to the opened door and closed it with a quiet, "Excuse us, Beca" and steered her best friend to the back of the car.

"Beca?" the blonde questioned, shaking out of Chloe's hands that were guiding her away and out of ear shot from the other woman.

"Yeah" she shrugged.

When Aubrey didn't say anything, Chloe seized her opportunity to finally speak a full sentence without being interrupted.

"I pulled over for gas and she was by one of the pumps asking people for a ride. All of the guys looked really shady, Aubrey, I couldn't just fill up the tank and let her get in a car with a potential serial killer."

Aubrey jerked her head forward, as if to say "Keep talking and you better make this good."

"So I asked where she was going and it wasn't too far out of our way so I asked if she wanted a lift."

Chloe paused, "Besides she has killer taste in music and is totally working that sexy and mysterious vibe" the redhead added with a wink.

"Wait, not too far out of our way..." Aubrey repeated, "Where the hell are we, Chloe?"

The other woman dragged her foot along the dusty road and defensively folded her arms over her chest, "We're like an hour away from Biloxi" she mumbled quietly.

"Biloxi."

Just as Chloe brought her eyes back to her best friend, relieved by the calmness in her voice, Aubrey was slamming her hands down on the trunk of the car, "Where the fuck is Biloxi?!" she yelled, startling Chloe.

If the scene was unfolding in a movie or the two women were watching another pair arguing on the side of the road from afar, they would probably laugh. Aubrey was currently pacing up and down with her head in her hands, whilst Chloe looked on, timid and guilty.

They'd look back one day and laugh about this, _right?_

Before either of them could speak again, the hitchhiker was out of the car and making her way over.

"You know you've left the engine running?" Beca asked, gesturing to the front of the car with a thumb over her shoulder.

When she was met with an uncomfortable silence, the smaller woman leaned on the car door and shoved her hands in her pockets.

"Look, how about I just get my stuff and go?" she offered.

"No, we can't just leave you in the middle of nowhere" Chloe rushed out.

"Yep, good idea, apparently we're an hour away from Biloxi..." Aubrey interjected, "...where ever the hell that is" she said through gritted teeth and glaring at Chloe.

"You'll be fine. You can walk or hitch another ride, thanks for being so understanding" she finished, tossing Beca's backpack out of the foot well of the front seat.

The redhead rushed over, retrieving Beca's bag from the sand, "Aubrey, surely you can't be serious?! It's ten o'clock at night; we can't just leave her out here!"

The blonde flared her nostrils as she let out a long sigh.

She knew Chloe was right, they couldn't just leave this alt girl by the side of the road; it was irresponsible and immoral. Her eyes wandered to Beca before landing back on Chloe, "OK, we drop you off at Biloxi and that's the end of the line" she said defeated, using air quotes when she named the city.

Beca nodded her head with only a hint of appreciation and took her bag off the beaming redhead.

"And I'm driving" Aubrey warned sternly, pointing an accusing finger at her best friend.

Chloe nodded in agreement before bounding over to the back door and sitting down in the seat beside Beca with a light shoulder bump and a cheeky grin.

 **XXX**

Turns out Aubrey had no idea where she was going and without the aid of an atlas or service on her phone, they were left to drive around aimlessly looking for any landmarks and keeping an eye out for road signs.

They weren't having much look.

Eventually after both women in the backseat exhausted all opportunities to help one very frustrated blonde behind the wheel they had resorted to silence. Beca and Chloe were leaning against one another's shoulders, both sharing a pair of earphones.

The tension in the car was becoming too much for the brunette.

Beca had been hanging around the gas station for five hours before Chloe approached her. At first she wasn't sure what the other woman's intentions were, her mind instantly jumping to the worst.

She got a firm grip on the handle of her bag before hoisting it over her shoulder, "I know, hitch-hiking is illegal, I'll move on, OK?"

"No, I wasn't going to say anything like that. Um, where are you heading?"

From that moment on Beca realised how very wrong she had assessed the situation. Chloe had introduced herself with a bright smile after that and welcomed her into the car. They had been driving for around two hours until Aubrey had woken up in a bitch fit and demanded Chloe stopped the car.

Beca felt weirdly disappointed.

Getting to know the redhead behind the wheel was more than just a pleasant experience; she felt with every mile, she grew to like Chloe a little bit more. The redhead seemed smart and funny; the brunette had already decided she was kind and caring giving the way she had offered her a ride, but there was something more there. Beca wanted to get to know even more and Aubrey was doing a very good job of preventing that.

Every time the pair fell back into natural conversation in the back, Aubrey would clear her throat or "shhh" them loudly in order to indicate she wanted silence. In all honesty, Beca really wanted to wind her up, but there was something about the way Chloe had spoken about her earlier.

The redhead had described their friendship and filled her in on the events earlier that morning, but she never once spoke a bad word, always jumping to the other woman's defence. Beca could see Aubrey meant a lot to Chloe and she didn't want to upset her new friend – if she could call her that?

"Hey, Aubrey, do you want my headphones?" Beca asked cautiously, after the blonde had killed their conversation, yet again. She tapped the spare headset on the driver's shoulder, praying she would take them.

She did, but not without the roll of her eyes and a mumbled "whatever."

Beca paused one of her mixes playing through the earphones and turned to face Chloe, "So I didn't get you in too much trouble, right?"

"No, course not, Aubrey is just, well, being Aubrey" she laughed, pulling the earplug from her ear. "Besides you never told me what you're doing in Biloxi" Chloe hinted, changing the subject.

"I've got a session booked it at a recording studio there. I think it's, like, sort of an unofficial audition but I don't want to jinx things."

"Wait an audition?" Chloe shouted, excitedly tapping at Beca's forearm. The brunette nodded, glad Aubrey had taken her headphones.

"Beca, that's awesome."

Chloe smiled, looking into the other woman's eyes a bit too longer than she should have.

"Yeah, well we'll see" she breathed out, pulling her eyes away and playfully poking Chloe's arm with her finger.

It seemed Aubrey was finally making sense of the road signs, as they passed a post marking ten miles until Biloxi.

Beca glanced at the time, a dull two am shining back at her. "Hey, do you want to maybe get a motel room when we get there?"

The minute the words left her lips, she was sure her face resembled the colour of tomato – she _so_ did not mean it like that.

"I didn't mean a room to do- I didn't just ask to – I don't want to have sex with you!" she rushed out in one long winded sentence, all jumbled and barley coherent.

Chloe's face dropped, signs of hurt on her face, "Why wouldn't you want to have sex with me? Are you calling me ugly?" she questioned.

Suddenly Beca was back pedalling, fast.

"No, no, not at all. I'd totally have sex with you, you're hot and I think you're cool and-"

Beca stopped, letting the sentence die in her throat as Chloe bust into a fit of giggles.

"Beca, I was joking."

"Oh" was all she could manage, as she nervously wrapped the wire of her earphones around her thumb.

"But I thought we'd all share a room anyway, it's really late. Don't worry about Bree, I'm sure one mention of the word cheaper and she'll cave quicker than a kid at a birthday party."

Beca laughed, as Chloe pushed play on the device in the brunette's hand with a smile and put her earphone back in.

 **XXX**

After a whisper shout of protests from Aubrey in the office, the three were sharing a room in the first motel they saw.

Beca turned the key in the door labelled seven and moved aside to let the other two in before her. Aubrey shot her another dirty look – Beca was seriously losing count – whilst Chloe smiled a warm smile and uttered her thanks.

"I'm going for a shower" Aubrey announced grabbing some items from her suitcase and locking the bathroom door behind, leaving an amused Beca and Chloe alone.

The redhead immediately reached for the remote of the TV and threw herself down on one of the beds, "What do you want to watch?" she asked as Beca perched on the end of the same bed.

"You can choose" she hummed out, kicking off her shoes and getting comfortable on the double bed. They continued to talk about everything and anything until Aubrey walked out of the bathroom in her pyjamas.

"So I'm having the single" she said firmly, sitting down on the bed almost protectively, as if Beca was going to jump to her feet and dive on it just to spite her – well it did cross her mind...

The blonde woman pulled the duvet under her chin and pushed a pair of bright pink plugs into her ears. As if a last minute thought, Aubrey sat up abruptly wagging a finger at the two women on the other bed.

"And no funny business!" she barked, laying back down and aggressively turning the light off and covering the room in a sheet of darkness.

Beca and Chloe looked at each other in disbelief before bursting with laughter.

Once they had calmed down, the brunette took Chloe's hand in hers and got to her feet. She was slipping her feet back into her worn chucks when she noticed Chloe's confused expression, "Come on, let's go for a walk, I'm sure there is a bar across the street" she winked referring to Chloe's previous night of mischief.

The redhead was already up, quickly following Beca's lead; her mind wandering to how perfectly Beca's hand fit in hers.

"You're already such a bad influence" Chloe whispered into Beca's ear before she was pulled out of the door and into the dimly lit balcony with a chuckle.

 **XXX**

 **A/N 2:** **I'm genuinely joking right now, I just thought I'd make you read this like you did the first one. If you didn't and you skipped it - well played, sir, well played!**


	33. 33 - Doggy CPR

" **Doggy CPR"**

Beca was rudely awoken by an offending noise currently blaring in her right ear. She clawed at her pillow, flinging the ringing phone onto the floor and turned to lie on her stomach. The noise stopped and the brunette was sinking her face into the mattress, intent on returning to sleep, until she felt the pounding in her head and the unpleasantness in her stomach.

 _God, how much did I drink last night?_

Stacie had called her last minute the night before, demanding Beca "get her ass out" to celebrate the start of her vacation. Beca couldn't help but roll her eyes and scoff at the absurdity of it; Stacie had a week off work to visit her family in Vermont, who in the right mind wanted to drink to that?

It's safe to say the DJ wasn't a huge fan of 'quality time with the family' or whatever that meant, plus she had a bad experience in Vermont this one time.

Beca's Mom had walked out on her when she was sixteen; just left a young and naive Beca with a food order in a busy pizza place and never came back to get her. She'll never forget the embarrassment and shame she felt sat on the cold plastic of the waiting bench as the manager of the store rang her Father.

There was a lot of confusion and hurt inside her that Beca never really addressed, was she that bad of a kid that her Mom actually abandoned here and never tried to contact her again? It was then she decided she wasn't going to depend on anyone else ever; it ensured she never had to experience that pain again.

The text tone alerted Beca her phone actually did still exist, as she draped a hand over the mattress and blindly searched for it. When she finally had it in her grasp, Beca brought the screen to her face, scanning the message preview with one eye, whilst the other one remained tightly shut.

 **Stacie [11:43] You agreed to letting Rex out whilst I'm away last night and feeding him, so you better get up and keep your word.**

The woman jerked upright in her bed, rereading the message with closer care – she was tricked. She knew that celebrate my "family break" was a crock of shit. Beca shook her head in dismay, as if she even bought into that? And no wonder Stacie was buying all the rounds.

 _Wow, Mitchell, all the signs were there and you didn't even pick up on them!_

Her phone buzzed again.

 **Stacie [11:43] Yes I played you. Get over it and walk my dog, Becs!**

Beca hated Stacie's dog. It was a little Chihuahua called Rex for god's sake. The thing drooled on her, barked whenever she wore her headphones and thought the sun shone out of Stacie's ass.

Beca wasn't a dog person either.

She wasn't sure how she managed to take care of herself, never mind be responsible for a dog for a week.

"Fuck" she mumbled before getting out of bed.

 **XXX**

Beca had been looking after Stacie's dog for the last six days and it had gone strangely well. Once both of them had gotten over the initial shock of each other's company, they fell into a steady routine of walking and feeding, as well as watching television together.

Rex would stand awkwardly in her lap for an hour, his head obstructing Beca's view of the screen, before he finally felt comfortable and fell asleep. When Stacie had suggested staying for evenings, the brunette had literally told her to get lost.

She had better things to do; like watch television in her own apartment without a dog on her knee.

But after the first few nights, Beca actually found it cute and amusing.

"I am never admitting that to Stacie, alright?" she mumbled to the Chihuahua during a commercial break.

That was another thing; she actually spoke to him – it was all too weird and she was more than thrilled that her best friend would be returning the next day.

Beca was settling further into the sofa when she felt Rex jerk forward. He was quickly on his paws and standing on the cushion beside her. Suddenly he was making choking noises that sounded very alarming to a now panicked Beca.

Before she could even begin to think straight, she was up and running for the phone, stabbing nine one one into the house phone – _wait, he's a dog?_

She quickly hung up after two and half rings and rushed back over to the couch. Rex was currently walking in circles, still making the same noise as before. Beca paced the length of the couch, flailing her hands around, "What is it, buddy? Tell me what's wrong?"

Before she could scold herself for that stupid remark, the Chihuahua slumped onto the couch and hung his head over the sofa as he made more gagging sounds.

Suddenly Beca sprung into action, running out of the apartment and frantically knocking on the apartment door across from Stacie's with a serious sense of urgency.

Before the redhead on the other side had a chance to open her door fully, Beca was forcing it open and spitting out a rushed and high pitched sentence, "I think Rex is dying, you need to save him before Stacie murders me!"

The other woman furrowed her eyebrows together, wrapping the robe she was wearing around her chest before letting out a groggy, "What?"

"Look, do you know doggy CPR or not, dude? If not I'll do it myself!" she exclaimed, before turning around and sprinting back into Stacie's apartment, her best friends neighbour not too far behind.

As Beca reached the couch she gestured to the "dying" dog and jutted out her chin.

 _Wait, why wasn't he dying anymore?_

Rex was curled up in the dent Beca had previously made on the seat, his eyes closed and an almost content look on his face, but Beca might be looking too hard...

"Wait, he was, like, choking?" she mumbled quietly, sounding confused and unsure.

"I- I swear he was just..." she stopped midsentence, looking at the redhead she had clearly woken up and rudely forced into the apartment.

Before the other woman could respond, two police officers were lightly knocking on the door, their eyes doing a quick sweep of the lounge before they found Beca's.

"We had a nine one one call from this apartment around ten minutes ago, is everything alright, ma'am?" he asked formally.

Beca was instantly lowering her head in embarrassment and hoping the hardwood floor would just swallow her up immediately. She looked up slowly and nervously scratched the back of her neck.

"Um, yeah, the dog did it" she stuttered out, "I mean, he sat on the phone" she added quickly, praying they would at least feel sorry for her and leave.

"OK, just make sure you keep it out of his reach next time."

She let out a long sigh of relief, as both of them turned to leave, closing the door and leaving a now healthy Rex, a stranger and Beca alone again.

"You called the cops?" the redhead asked the minute the door was closed.

Beca shooed Rex off the couch with a frown and a quiet "stupid dog."

"Look, I'm sorry I hammered on your door and rushed you over here" she sighed, bringing her hands to cup her face.

"You called the cops?" she asked again, but this time her tone seemed less confused and more amused.

Beca sat up to look at her, "Look, I panicked, OK?"

"Doggy CPR" she laughed out, dropping down next to a blushing Beca on the couch.

"Chloe, right?" Beca asked, slightly annoyed, clinging to any attempt to change the subject.

"Yeah, Beca the dog sitter?" she questioned with a smirk.

Beca nodded.

"And how's that going for you?" Chloe stifled out, trying not to laugh.

"Shut up" was all Beca could manage, feeling the embarrassment in the form of a crimson blush on her cheeks.

Chloe stopped laughing at that, resting a comforting hand on her arm, "Well I thought it was cute" she whispered with a reassuring smile.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah" Chloe confirmed, relaxing into the sofa, without retracting her hand.

 **XXX**

 **A/N:** **I've had this dog sitting in my head for a while now, but I wasn't really sure where I wanted it to go, but then I had this idea, so...**

 **This was supposed to be funny, if I completely failed at doing that, I'm sorry!**


	34. 34 - A Ten

**Prompt: "Beca's got a crush on Aubrey's sister (Chloe) and she's not having it."**

 **A Ten**

Aubrey Posen was the exact opposite of Beca; she was organised, uptight, a control freak and hopelessly in love with Jesse.

Something Beca had tried to convince herself of during college.

Eventually, she was finally honest with him and herself and they had remained best friends ever since; so it was no surprise Beca was his best 'woman' at their wedding.

"Beca, are you even listening to me?" Aubrey yelled impatiently, snapping her fingers together in front of her face.

She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes, "Yes, no heavy metal in the wedding playlist – I've got it."

Aubrey raised an eyebrow as if she was contemplating whether the other woman's response would suffice, before she smiled a tight lipped smile and nodded with a quick "good."

Although the two didn't always see eye to eye, over the past two years of the blonde and Jesse's relationship, they had grown to tolerate each other. In fact, sometimes Beca found herself admiring the older woman for her ambition and focus, but the DJ didn't spend too much thinking about that.

"So, are you ready for the dress rehearsal?" Beca asked in an attempt to move on the now silent conversation.

"Ready? We're going to pick up my rehearsal dress right now, Beca. The dinner is in two freaking hours."

Beca was consciously putting more pressure on the gas as her eyes flickered to the time on the car stereo. Perhaps that question wasn't the best of conversation starters.

"Yeah, but I mean, besides the dress, you're good to go, right?" Beca asked quietly. She caught a glimpse of the panicked and concerned look on the woman's face in the passenger seat and slammed her hand down on the steering wheel.

"Of course you're ready! You're Aubrey fucking Posen, dude. Jesse is currently running all of your errands like a good almost husband and we're almost at the dress shop. The real question is, is this rehearsal dinner ready for you?!"

Beca's tone was uncharacteristically upbeat and positive as she tried her very best to straighten the creases in her friend's face. Aubrey was stressed to say the least and the most Beca could do right now is at least attempt to put her at ease. Even if that meant talking like a deranged person and punching her steering wheel.

"Yeah, you're right" she mumbled, a forced smile on her lips.

"Hey, Bree?" Beca was readjusting the volume on the radio as the blonde woman turned from the window.

"You know I don't say this often but you're literally like a drill Sargent that whips everyone into shape…" she continued whilst stopping at a red light, "…we might be a little last minute at the moment, but you'll be on schedule before you know it."

"Nope, you never call me that ever" Aubrey laughed with the shake of her head and resumed her attention back to the window.

Beca smiled; she knew that would cheer her up.

 **XXX**

The dress was collected and Jesse had managed not to screw up anything on the extensive list Aubrey had thrust in his face with a finger wag and a threat of calling of their big day if he failed to get everything done.

Beca and Jesse had shared a look that said "She's joking, right?" before rushing off in opposite directions.

Now, currently sat in the decorated function room, Beca was looking out from the main table to all of the other white cloth clad tables spaced around the large room. Half of them were empty, due to it only being a rehearsal but it still made her throat dry. The nervousness of having to stand up and read out her still half written speech from this very spot next week catching up with her.

There was a reason Beca relied on music to articulate her feelings and writing a speech about her five-year friendship with Jesse using nothing but words was daunting to see the least; add the certainty of an audience and Beca was pretty sure she most definitely wasn't up to this.

She shook that thought away, storing it in the back of her mind for her to worry about next week. There was no way Beca could refuse to give a required speech about the groom. She'd deal with the nerves once she finished what seemed like the millionth draft currently shoved in her back pocket of her jeans.

It was safe to say Aubrey was more than pissed when Beca showed up in casual clothing; a plain white tee and a pair of ripped skinny jeans was most definitely not what she reluctantly agreed to wear for the wedding, but she had already decided wearing the pastel pink dress the blonde had picked out for her was enough to wear just the once.

Suddenly, the sound of people applauding and the mention of her name brought Beca back to the present.

 _Shit, this is my cue._

"OK, so I'm not giving anything away from my prepared speech" she drawled out nervously, trying to ignore Jesse's humorous outburst of "Because she hasn't written one" and ploughed on.

"But seen as everyone said something…" she said through gritted teeth, genuinely annoyed these people had made her ramblings practically mandatory, "…I've known Jesse for a while and I know that marrying Aubrey is going to give him that bullshit movie happy ending he's always wanted."

When that comment got a slight laugh, she sat down abruptly and took a long sip of her drink as she motioned someone else to stand up.

The laughs died off, unsure if she was being serious or not; she totally was.

 **XXX**

"So that was interesting speech" came a voice from behind her.

Beca stood up straight, pushing her weight off the balcony and turning around.

"Yeah, my jokes are just as bad in the actual speech, so prepare yourself for that one" she sighed out with a quick shrug of her shoulders as she turned to face the owner of the voice.

Chloe.

The redhead was wearing a white dress and it definitely hugged her body in all the right places. Beca let her eyes rake over said outfit (body – what, she's only human?!) and nervously cleared her throat as they wandered for a little too long.

"My sister is off limits."

Aubrey had warned her the night before just as she was due to pick Chloe up from the airport.

"If she's anything like you, I'm sure I'll resist" Beca smirked, enjoying the way Aubrey glared at her.

"I'm serious, Beca. You are moody and distant and mean but secretly sensitive and caring and that's exactly Chloe's type. She'll coax all of your good qualities out of you and you won't even be able to pinpoint the exact moment you fell in love with her."

Beca scoffed, audibly.

Aubrey not so lightly swatted her arm, knocking her off balance and causing her to push the incorrect button on the Xbox controller in her hand, giving Jesse the perfect opportunity to shoot her down. The blood and gore instantly slipped down Beca's half of the split screen and she let out a groan as Jesse laughed.

"Thanks, babe" Jesse grinned at the blonde currently smiling sweetly before she made her way to the door.

"I mean it, Beca, don't fuck my sister."

And with that the door was slammed, leaving Jesse and Beca to stare at each other with quirked eyebrows, before simultaneously restarting the game and returning their attention back to the television screen.

"So, you have to know..." Jesse started, vigorously stabbing down at the buttons and frantically moving it to the left with his tongue sticking out in concentration, "…Chloe is a definite ten and she's totally your type."

Beca sat forward and perched on the edge of the couch before finally claiming victory of the video game.

"Why are you guys acting so weird about it?" Beca asked, putting the remote control on the coffee table and taking a swift sip of the opened red bull.

"Because we know how you are with women, Becs."

Beca scoffed once again, "C'mon, it's not like I'm some sort of babe magnet" she retorted with a comical wave of her hands.

That statement was true, Beca wasn't lacking when it came to talking to women but she wouldn't consider herself a "player" or anything.

When Chloe walked through Aubrey and Jesse's apartment door dressed down in sweat pants, a hoodie and a suitcase an hour later, Beca's draw literally dropped. The blueness of the redhead's eyes was burning a bright fire in Beca's chest as she couldn't help but mirror the warm smile on her face.

Chloe was a definitely a ten; no doubt about it.

"So, are you escaping from the party too?" Beca asked gesturing to the sliding doors silencing the rowdy crowd and loud music currently underway inside.

"Maybe" Chloe smiled, "But mainly because I know you're getting high out here and I was wondering if you had some to share?" she added, the once soft smile quickly turning into a smirk.

"Busted."

Beca laughed, turning back to lean on the glass balcony and holding the smoke above her shoulder. Chloe took it, mirroring Beca's stance and inhaled deeply as the brunette watched, her mouth slightly agape at the pure sexiness of it.

"So, you're staying at Aubrey and Jesse's until the wedding? Beca asked as Chloe passed it back in between her fingers with a lazily smile.

"Yeah, I offered to book into a hotel but you know what Bree's like."

Beca let out a chuckle and took another hit.

"Yeah, I do" she said as she inhaled, "She certainly wouldn't be getting high with me on a balcony anyway."

Chloe nodded, "Yeah, we're kind of opposites, aren't we?"

"You can say that again" Beca replied, softly bumping Chloe's shoulder with her own. "I know it's only early days, but I feel like I already like you more" she joked.

The redhead took another drag, blowing out the smoke unexpectedly as she laughed at Beca's words.

"You mean because I'm a ten?" Chloe asked with a mischievous grin.

Suddenly Beca was standing up right and stiffening at the familiar words, "How'd you-"

"You and Jesse should really think about how loudly you talk when playing video games. My bed is literally on the same wall as the couch in the living room, you know?"

Beca cupped her cheeks with her hands before her lips broke into a guilty smile, "Well you kind of are, so" she dragged out the last word as she quickly tugged the joint out of Chloe's grip playfully and brought it to her mouth.

Chloe was turning to face Beca, her face getting dangerously closer to her own before she began to speak. The brunette could feel her hot breath as it tickled her lips, "Aubrey told you I was off limits, didn't she?"

The DJ slowly nodded as she dropped her hands down over the balcony, letting her eyes trail to Chloe's lips and completely getting lost in the moment that was occurring.

"Is that why I'm a ten?" Chloe was pulling at the collar of Beca's top and moving impossibly closer when Beca shook her head with a dazed look on her face.

"Good, because I think we could have some fun whilst I'm here."

Before Beca could close the distance, there was a sudden burning sensation on her fingers causing her to jump back and let go of the joint that was once in her hands and completely interrupting their moment.

There was a slide of the door and a voice that clearly belonged to Aubrey, "Hey, Chlo, Mom wants you to meet someone!" she yelled, before walking over and ushering her sister inside all the while giving Beca a pointed glare.

 **XXX**


	35. 35 - Drowning in your Love

**Prompt: "Can you write where Beca drowns at the retreat and Chloe and the Bellas try so hard to revive her.**

 **A/N 1** **– OK, so I'm pretty sure this prompt was meant literal but I went a different way about it. I think killing Beca off twice in the space of four chapters is a little harsh, so sorry if I totally ruined your prompt, guest reviewer :(**

 **Drowning in your Love**

Beca was sat alone by the lake watching the moon reflect on the ripples of the water. She wasn't sure of the time or how long she'd been sat on the grass banking but Beca didn't really care. She couldn't stand sleeping next to Chloe in the tent with the rest of the Bellas acting like everything was at it was before.

The past couple of months had been very manic; with her internship, constant Bella practise, mention of Worlds every five seconds and all of the school work, Beca was finding it difficult to ground herself. It seemed sitting out here was the first time the DJ actually had a second to let her mind catch up with everything.

"You know Beca, we're very close."

Chloe had whispered the words to her earlier with a smile and an upbeat tone that Beca wasn't quite sure she believed.

"You know one of my biggest regrets is that I didn't do enough experimenting in college."

It was that sentence that had literally forced Beca to this very spot. Chloe's words ultimately becoming her mental and emotional undoing.

Their friendship was something of value to Beca. Chloe had a way of making her feel like she was capable of enduring social interaction without feeling uncomfortable or the usual strong urge to bolt. Chloe Beale was one of a kind; that was clear the moment she stepped into her shower in freshman year; but there was more to it than that. Chloe brought these feelings and urges Beca never truly understood, until now.

Beca was in love with her best friend. The revelation brought her clarity and elation, as well as a crippling fear and anxiety because now Beca had finally admitted it to herself, she could no longer pretend she didn't feel it.

And that's why she turned around abruptly in her sleeping bag with a dismissive "you're so weird."

Beca led down, feeling the damp due of the grass settle into her t-shirt. She let out a quick shiver before closing her eyes and trying to clear her mind.

She couldn't deal with this right now; everything was happening all at once and Beca had no idea what to do.

 **XXX**

Aubrey's tennis shoes crunched down on the gravel as she marched over to the Bella tent. A quick look at the digital watch hanging from her wrist let her know it was time for her to whip them into shape.

 _These girls need to find their sound before Worlds, or so help me God._

The blonde stopped as she saw a patch of blue in the grass by the lake. As she cautiously made her way over, Aubrey rolled her eyes at the sight of a sleeping Beca curled up into a ball with her arms wrapped around her legs.

She let out a sigh, before gently nudging the sleeping woman with her foot.

"Beca, what the hell are you doing?" she said loudly, in an attempt to bring her round quicker.

The brunette let out a mumble before nudging away from Aubrey and further into the grass.

"Beca, wake up!"

Eyes snapped open and Beca was sitting upright like a flash, clearly startled by the light kicking and the yelling that was way too early for this time of morning.

"Jesus, Aubrey, I thought you were a bear or something" Beca complained whilst getting to her feet.

"You're lucky it wasn't. Why are you out here? You know the tent was big enough for a hobbit like you, right?"

Beca shot her a glare as she wiped the grass cuttings from her clothes.

"The air we were breathing was at least ninety percent fart."

Aubrey sighed, before turning to walk back to the marked path, hollering at Beca to hurry up behind her. The DJ complied with a groan and followed the blonde back to the tent and back to the best friend Beca wasn't sure she could be around right now.

 **XXX**

As grateful as Chloe was for Aubrey's help, she was more than certain her vocal chords were going to give out and her feet suddenly drop off if she continued to work them like this any longer.

"Hey, Bree" she said with a sickly sweet tone, "Could we grab that lunch now? I think Fat Amy is going to eat a poisonous plant or something really soon and we kind of need all Bella's fighting fit for Worlds."

The redhead hoped appealing to Aubrey's inner competitiveness would be effective.

"OK, you're right…" she sighed, currently helping Emily down from the piece of wood she had somehow got her foot lodged in, "…But we meet back here in an hour" she added with a pointed stare.

All of the Bella's nodded immediately, before dispersing in different directions, seeking any kind of escapism they could find.

Chloe took a long swig from the water bottle propped up by a tree and rushed to catch up with Beca.

"Hey, Becs, wait up" she shouted, halfway through a brisk walk and a slight jog.

Beca slowed down, but didn't say anything and waited for Chloe to fall into step.

She couldn't help but notice the brunette had been acting strange from the moment she woke up this morning. Usually Chloe was the first person Beca would find in a morning but today she hadn't even waited for her or the rest of the Bellas before she got up. Chloe had tried to put that down to the camping aspect of the retreat, but she couldn't quite shake the feeling that Beca was out of character.

They walked the rest of the way to the dinning hall in silence, before all of the group remerged and regrouped at a huge table in the centre of the food hall. There was light chitter chatter and clanking of cutlery as everyone quickly dug into their food, thankful they finally had a moment to recharge the batteries and put some distance between themselves and Aubrey.

As far as Chloe could tell, Fallen Leaves retreat was proving a lot tougher than she had first thought. Clearly her best friend wasn't kidding when she said she enjoyed giving people orders and bossing them around. A smile pulled at her lips as she wiped her hands on a napkin; Chloe was really happy Aubrey had found this place, she could tell the blonde enjoyed her work and that made Chloe smile.

"So, you're being quiet."

The redhead nudged Beca's arm, causing the forkful of peas to drop back onto her plate.

"How do you know I'm not resting my voice?" she retorted quickly, pointing to her throat.

Chloe let out a chuckle, as Beca dropped the cutlery down onto her plate, "Actually, I think you should be resting your voice. How is it, by the way?"

There was concern in Beca's eyes that Chloe couldn't ignore. It made her heart swell at the thought of Beca caring about her wellbeing. It wasn't that the DJ didn't do it often, because she did and she always had, but it never failed to make Chloe's stomach flutter as a warmth of love spread through her body.

"It's fine" she assured with a smile, stilling her hand on Beca's arm, "Thanks for asking" she added sincerely.

It was then Beca was snatching her arm away and quickly getting to her feet.

"I'm going to…" she gestured to her tray and quickly made a bee line for the trash can, leaving a confused Chloe alone in the centre of the table with the rest of the Bella's. She turned to look at the conversation to her left, before making a quick decision to follow her best friend, but once she dragged her eyes back, Beca was nowhere in sight.

There was definitely something off with Beca Mitchell today.

 **XXX**

As the day went on, Beca was feeling more self-conscious about her actions towards Chloe and it seemed the redhead had noticed she was distancing herself. The DJ was stupid to think she wouldn't, of course she would, Chloe never missed a beat when it came to Beca.

From the moment they met, it seemed automatic how Chloe was able to read her perfectly; knowing when Beca wanted space or didn't want to be pushed on a certain topic – Chloe had a sixth sense for reading her and quite frankly, Beca was stupid for not realising her feelings sooner. Since everything had come to light the night before, everything between them seemed painfully obvious and it was getting more and more difficult for her to continue to stay away.

Aubrey's team building exercises after lunch didn't help; as it seemed very close physical contact was a must with your partner and obviously being co-captains, Beca was _always_ paired with Chloe.

 _God, how ironic._

it was late afternoon when the Bella's eyes were opened to the Fallen leaves water sports activates on the very lake Beca had spent the early of the hours of the morning contemplating what to do about her friendship with the redhead, who was currently bursting at the seams at the prospect of getting wet, no wait…

See, this is why Beca had to keep her distance. She could no longer trust what words would leave her mouth and what thoughts would pop into her head. It didn't help when Chloe continuously brushed her leg up against hers under the table at lunch, nor did it help when she reached for Beca's arm and didn't let go.

Beca felt like the possibility of drowning was very strong right now and it had nothing to do with the giant body of water currently swishing in between her toes.

"Hey, Beca. Are you OK?" Stacie asked, watching as the shorter woman stared blankly out onto the lake.

The DJ couldn't help but feel her eyes land on Chloe before she quickly pulled them to Stacie.

"Yeah, fine."

"You know you being weird around Chloe is really oblivious, don't you?" the taller woman smirked, causing mini tidal waves of water to slap against Beca's legs as she made her way over.

"I'm not" she shrugged, defensively pulling her hands around her life vest.

"When did you figure it out?" Stacie asked plainly, causing Beca's eyes to widen and her body turn rigid without her permission.

"I don't know what you're talking about" she replied, kicking the water in front of her.

Stacie nudged her arm gently as she whispered a quiet "Bullshit."

When the DJ remained silent, Stacie let out a sigh.

"Beca, you're in love with her, she feels the same, what's stopping you from just admitting your feelings to her and finally getting your shit together?"

"I'm no- Stacie, just leave it alone, please."

The woman beside her raised her eyebrows with the slight wobble of her head, before letting out a much louder and longer sigh.

"When are you going to learn that we're all rooting for you?" she said exasperated before trudging further into the lake and eventually swimming away.

 **XXX**

Chloe was drying off, attempting to keep the forced smile painted on her face. Beca had barely spoken to her all day and it was starting to stir up a serious worry inside of her. She sat down on the grass, away from the group and watching as the rest of the Bella's ran along a foam like runway, laughing and giggling.

Chloe didn't feel much like joining them anymore, Beca was well and truly imprinted in her mind. The day had felt strange and foreign without the brunette by her side; she missed Beca's sarcastic comments; she missed tugging her hand whenever they walked somewhere and not quite letting it go until they got there; and she missed everything else in between.

The redhead was beginning to think her words last night were a mistake and she spent several minutes internally berating herself for allowing them to spill for her lips whilst she sat on the bank.

 _Why did you have to scare her away?_

Chloe was aware there had been a massive change in Beca since they first met in Freshman year, but she was starting to second guess her decision to mention experimenting in college more last night.

 _What even made you say that, Chloe?_

The internal monologue was her sole focus and Chloe didn't even notice a timid Beca taking a seat beside her. The hand suddenly wrapped around hers pulled the older woman out of her thoughts.

Her mind was quickly soothed as the soft contact of Beca's palm put her at ease almost instantly.

Neither of them spoke at first; they just looked out onto the lake in a comfortable silence.

"I think I'm in love with you."

The words caught Chloe's attention immediately, as her eyes snapped towards Beca's stormy blue ones; they seemed confused and almost defeated; for once, Chloe wasn't able to read her best friend.

Instead she waited patiently, giving Beca's fingers a gentle but reassuring squeeze.

"I'm drowning in my love for you, Chloe and this stupid life vest isn't doing shit" she said, using her other hand to pull carelessly at said item on her torso.

Chloe took a moment to think of how to reply, before she wet her lips and began to speak, "Why don't I try and revive you?"

The redhead was trying to lighten the mood with a joke, attempting to follow Beca's analogy and hopefully work this out.

But Beca didn't laugh, she didn't even smile. She just pulled her hand away and shook her head.

"The water is filling my lungs and I can't breathe anymore. I'm drowning in your love, Chloe and I'm not sure I can even do this."

Chloe felt a sting surge through her.

"I don't understand, Beca."

Her voice was quiet and shaky, as she watched her best friend; the woman she had been in love with for what felt like forever turn away and get to her feet.

"I'm not ready for this, Chlo – I'm sorry. We can't be together."

Beca was quickly retreating back to the marked path, away from the lake and away from Chloe. The redhead watched as the DJ disappeared further into the distance, unable to move or process the soul crushing words that had just poured from Beca's lips.

Once she was no longer in sight, Chloe eyes landed on the hand Beca was just holding and she rubbed her fingers over it nostalgically, trying to bite back the tears. She never thought it would hurt like this; there was a dull ache in her chest and a sharp sting that still coursed through her veins.

Beca was in love with her, but she wasn't even willing to give their relationship a chance – that's what hurt the most; not only had she destroyed the opportunity of their relationship but she had just walked away from their friendship without even a second thought.

Chloe let the tears wet her cheeks then.

And she wanted to drown in them.

 **XXX**

 **A/N 2** **– So I tried (failed?) at some poetic and metaphorical shit, did it work? Please let me know in the reviews.**

 **A/N 3** **– If I still haven't got round to your prompt, do not fear, I'm working on it :).**

 **P.S Seen as a few of you asked, I will be continuing the last chapter at some point.**


	36. 36 - Keep Coming Back

**Prompt: "Chloe fell hard for Beca's charm and confidence the very moment she was approached by her at the bar. They were inseparable but that later turned into the present dysfunctional and almost toxic flow of stubbornness, jealousy and accusations (mostly on Beca's side.) Chloe always tries to leave but always finds her way back to Beca; despite several advice and warning from her friends. – Inspired by Rita Ora's "Poison."**

" **I Tried to Stop but I Keep on Coming Back For More"** **  
**

Beca had her hand in a fist as it hovered over Chloe's door.

"Please, just don't come over anymore – it'll make it easier for the both of us."

The redhead's words were quickly shoved to the back of her mind as her hand finally made contact with the wood. It was a light and hesitant knock and one that Beca had used one too many times on this very door.

"I told you not to come here anymore" was the muffled response from the other side, instantly causing the brunette to wince.

"Chloe, just let me in. We'll talk.

There was a pause.

"You know we never talk, we just have sex and backtrack. Go home, Beca."

It seemed from the moment they met, Beca and Chloe always found themselves attracted to each other; some had called it inseparable but Beca wasn't particularly fond of that observation. Chloe had a certain warmth the brunette had never experienced before - a kind of fiery touch that burned Beca's skin whenever they touched. It could be an innocent brush of arms or a graze of fingers when they exchanged a drink; perhaps it was a gentle caress of her cheek or a feather touch on the inside of her thigh; but either way Beca could feel it and she craved it the moment Chloe pulled it away.

"Babe, please. Let me in and we'll talk. No distraction, no deflection, I just need to see you."

Chloe was resting her forehead on the frame of the door with her eyes closed; resisting the urge to look through the peep hole. She knew if she saw a pleading Beca Mitchell outside her door, her resolve would quickly crumble and cause all of her previous efforts to come undone.

She let out a long sigh, her heart currently enduring a very heated debate with her head. Beca was someone special; Chloe knew that from the first minute of their conversation in a bar almost a year ago. There was something about her eyes that made the redhead's knees weak and her mind blank. She had a desperate need to meet the woman who had sat at the bar alone occasionally sneaking glances at Chloe from across the room.

She needed to know who she was and everything in between.

Chloe took a deep breath, her grip on the handle tightening. What before was once a tight hold to keep her out, was now a firm grip to let her in. She rolled her eyes.

 _God, that was almost poetic._

She pulled down on the handle, opening the door slowly before locking eyes with the cautious woman before her.

"We just talk" Chloe warned, stepping aside and gesturing her to come in.

Beca smiled a soft smile, "We just talk."

 **XXX**

" _You know she's damaged beyond repair, right?" Aubrey asked casually, reaching for her coffee and bringing it to her lips._

 _Chloe's face dropped as the smile on her face a mere four seconds ago completely vanished._

" _What's that supposed to mean?" she rushed out, automatically sitting upright in her chair._

 _Aubrey matched her posture, placing the mug back on the table between them, "It means you have to be careful. I know what you're like when it comes to relationships and love…" she dragged out the word, adding air quotations "…You dive in heart first and I don't think this girl has good intentions."_

 _Chloe sunk back into her chair with an unreadable expression on her face. In all honesty, Chloe was confused; Beca and Aubrey had met once and Chloe had told her best friend nothing but good things about her, why was she so against their relationship?_

" _Aubrey, I don't think you really have any evidence to support that."_

" _Chlo, she was fifty-seven minutes late to our dinner reservation last week."_

" _Because she was stuck in traffic" the redhead defended._

" _She walked. The restaurant was right around the corner from her apartment" Aubrey stated flatly; an equal tone of annoyance and victory in her voice._

 _Chloe's fingers began to tap the side of her mug as her line of sight turned to the busy street through the coffee shop window._

" _She's not damaged" she mumbled, her eyes fixed on the blue mailbox on the sidewalk across the street._

" _She had her arm wrapped around you all night. It wasn't a loving gesture, it was possessive grip that said 'don't touch her, she's mine' and she asked where you were going every time you went to the restroom, does that not set those little alarms of in there?" Aubrey asked desperately, holding a finger to the side of her own temple._

 _Chloe fell silent again until she hesitantly dragged her eyes back to her best friend's; Aubrey's quiet appeal oozing from her stare._

" _That doesn't make her damaged" her voice was barely a whisper._

" _You can't see it yet, but you will."_

 _That was the last they spoke about it that day, Aubrey quickly moving the conversation on and changing the subject._

 _Chloe never forget her discreet and implicated advice, but she tried her very best to shake the thought away whenever it passed through her mind._

 **XXX**

Beca sat on her usual seat on the couch, a knee nervously bobbing up and down between them. Chloe couldn't help but reach a reassuring hand out to still it, despite every fibre of her being that told her not to.

"I don't know why I'm like this."

The brunette broke the silence with a quiet and timid voice, her eyes still trained on Chloe's hand. The gentle tap indicated Chloe was listening and she wanted her to continue, so Beca did.

"I've always been one to self-sabotage my relationships, but when I met you, I convinced myself not to. You're different, Chloe…" she met the redhead's gaze "…you don't force me to open up, I just do because I want to and that's new for me."

Chloe began to retract her hand but Beca was grabbing it.

"You make me feel a love I never knew I was capable of before and now it seems I'm subconsciously doing everything to destroy it" the brunette whispered out, bringing her eyes down to Chloe's hand in hers as she ran her thumb back and forth over it.

"Beca, I don't know what you want me to say" Chloe breathed out, edging further down the couch and shaking her hand out of Beca's grasp.

"You said we could talk? Well, I'm finally talking and you're not even going to acknowledge what I've just said?" she asked almost angrily, her voice slightly growing in volume.

"That's not fair and you know it. After all those times I've put up with the jealousy and your insecurities? You lost the chance of my acknowledgement a long time ago."

Chloe hurriedly got to her feet before continuing, "I think you should go now."

 **XXX**

 _The chime of a phone caused Chloe to pull away far too quickly for Beca's liking. Before the redhead had a chance to reach for the bedside, Beca was flipping them over and swiftly changing their position. Chloe let out a giggle as the brunette pressed her body firmly against hers with a smirk and a series of open mouthed kisses pressed to her neck._

" _No phones allowed" was ghosted over her skin as Chloe arched her back slightly and let out a quiet hum of pleasure._

" _There are so many things I could do to you that I'm entirely confident will be better than checking your phone" Beca's lips were settling into a smirk as they continued their assault down Chloe's body and paused at her chest._

 _There was that confidence Chloe had first noticed the night they met. It seemed Beca had an informative answer or a witty retort for anything and it drove the redhead wild. The brunette would effortlessly flirt and charm her way through any topic and all the while make Chloe feel like the only person Beca ever wanted to speak to._

 _A month or two ago, Chloe had realised that Beca genuinely only ever wanted to speak to her, as long as she did the same. Whether it was someone working the checkout, the barman who took her drink order or Stacie at work, a fever of jealously would unexpectedly rush over Beca and suddenly Chloe was under constant fire of hurtful accusations and serious allegations._

" _You were looking at him like you wanted to fuck him" Beca had once rushed out between gulps of her beer. "Is that what you want? Am I not good enough for you anymore? Does Mr Barman have something I don't?!" she spat out viciously at an upset and flustered Chloe turning nervously on a barstool._

" _Babe, why do you get like this? He just made a joke about the weather and I laughed, why would you say something like that to me?" Chloe quietly asked, internally hoping Beca wouldn't make a scene, again._

 _The familiar sound of Chloe's phone brought her out of her thoughts. She sat up quickly, stretching out to retrieve it from the drawers beside the bed, as Beca's teeth lightly tugged at the skin beneath her breast._

 _The redhead was quickly dropping the device onto the sheets and pulling Beca's lips to hers and forcing Beca's hand further down her stomach._

 _The chime sounded again and she knew she had to answer it._

 _With a loud groan she gently pushed Beca away._

" _Sorry, I just really need to answer this" she whined, the unlocking sound echoing in their ears._

" _Seriously, you turn down this for a text?"_

 _Chloe's heart sped up, unsure if Beca was about to have one of her moments. When Chloe's eyes rested on Beca's playful ones she let out a breath of relief._

" _I promised Stacie I'd send her the number for this private school counsellor by the end of the day and I forget."_

 _Beca became rigid at that, sitting up straight for a moment and quickly returning to her side of the bed. Chloe instantly felt the cold due to the sudden loss of contact and internally berated herself for mentioning anything._

" _Stacie again then, huh?"_

 _The laid back and playful Beca from a moment ago was completely lost and replaced with a hard stare and a foul mood._

" _Yeah, because of something at work, Becs" Chloe reminded, quickly firing off the text and returning it to the bedside. She turned onto her side and shuffled closer to other woman, cautiously placing a soft kiss to her bare shoulder._

" _C'mon, I'm sure we could easily pick back up where we left off" she dragged out slowly, her voice automatically lowering to a seductive tone._

 _Beca was quickly lunging forward, fusing their mouths together and dragging her hands down Chloe's arms and moving further down to her hips._

 _The sex was different._

 _It wasn't the spontaneous kind that it had initially started out with – it had turned rough and possessive all at once and Chloe was more than sure she knew the reason for it. Beca's kisses were sloppy and her touches rushed. Their motions weren't slow or passionate but desperate and needy in a way the redhead was more than familiar with. Beca was jealous again and this was her way of showing Chloe she was hers; not her lover or her significant other, but her possession._

 _The first time it happened, the redhead thought it was hot, now she thinks it's just quite sad._

" _She's damaged beyond repair; you know?"_

 _Aubrey's words running through her head as a cold and unfeeling "I told you so" chant._

 _Beca's kisses leaving a bitter taste in her mouth._

 **XXX**

"I want to stay here with you."

Chloe suddenly stopped in her tracks with her back to Beca as she was staring at her own front door for the second time around.

"I love you, you know that don't you?"

Chloe prayed Beca didn't notice the way her shoulders slumped at that, as she felt the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

"You're toxic, Beca" she wavered out between an almost sob and a sigh.

Despite the other woman's dysfunctionalities and her very messed up ways of showing her affections, Chloe didn't need reassuring that the woman currently sat on her sofa loved her. Beca had been the first to voice those three words aloud a month and a half into their relationship. It made Chloe feel butterflies flutter in her stomach the first time she heard them leave Beca's lips and suddenly the redhead no longer felt foolish for diving into their relationship "heart first."

They spent four months in a sense of happy bliss before Beca began faltering. The jealousy and the accusations started up after then and Chloe couldn't help but feel Beca had undone all their happiness of four months in a mere thirty-one days.

She turned around to see a very vacant looking Beca fiddling with her thumbs. There was a hint of guilt etched into her features but Chloe tired her hardest not to think about that; the guilt was the thing that always kept her coming back for more.

"You can't keep projecting your insecurities into our relationship and expect us to work. When that wave of jealously hits you out of the blue, it crushes me, Beca. My chest tightens and my heart breaks every time because I can't believe you think that little of me" she paused taking a steadying breath, "Your words become venomous and hateful towards me and everything about you that makes me love you disappears because you become somebody else. I love you, Beca but you're damaged!"

And there it was. The words she had first heard from Aubrey's mouth now finally leaving hers. Chloe spent many late nights refusing to believe her best friend's opinion and pushing away all of the signs that supported them.

But it was no use.

Finally, Chloe was letting them tumble from her lips and the weight that lifted with them was unignorable.

Beca didn't even miss a beat.

"Well you know what they say, damaged always attracts those fixer-upers."

 **XXX**

Chloe remembers when she first locked eyes with the mysterious woman with the thick black eyeliner at the bar.

She remembers their first week of dating. The late night phone calls that lasted until the early hours of the morning and the sunlight that shone on half of Beca's face after the first night they spent together.

Beca's touches, her soft kisses, the sweet nothings she would whisper in her ear and the tight grip she held on Chloe's heart were imprinted in her memory. The way Beca opened up completely and showed Chloe her naked soul and she remembers the burning love that felt so strong Chloe had to pinch the fair skin of her arm to remind herself all of this was real.

Then Chloe replays Beca's twisted face as she would accuse her of flirting with Stacie from work and the hurt she felt when the other woman refused to hear anything she was saying. The harsh words, the tight clutch on her shoulder whenever they were in public and the slight smirk on her face whenever Chloe crumbled into a tearful mess under her stare during yet another argument about the redhead's loyalist to their relationship.

Chloe wished she would have ended it sooner and tried to forget the six attempts it took her to finally break things off for good. Beca's plea, her tears, her guilt, her apology; Chloe wished she was stronger than all of that.

But she wasn't, Chloe was weak; a lightweight and she knew it. The way she overlooked all that was damaged with Beca Mitchell and how the older woman searched for anything and everything to fill her up.

When the chapter of her and Beca's relationship was closed for good, Chloe felt an emotional turmoil that she could never predict or comprehend. She was forty-three days clean of Beca and the toxic flow of stubbornness, jealousy and accusations of their time together and for a while, she wore that like a badge of honour.

But in the cell of her being, Chloe knew she already addicted to her poison.

She tapped lightly on Beca's door after a month and a half of no contact. When the younger woman opened the door, Chloe couldn't stop the words tumbling from her lips.

"I tried to stop but I keep on coming back for more."

And those lips were touching Beca's suddenly and almost instantly Chloe was hooked and entering back into their vicious cycle.

Chloe could try as hard as she wanted, but she'd always keep coming back for more.

 **XXX**

 **A/N – So I had a really tough time writing this and I spent a lot of time stewing over it. The 'prompt' (basically an already thought out plot – which is awesome!) was such a good shout that I REALLY wanted to do it justice. I'm feeling very lukewarm about what I've written, but I spent so much time working on it, I couldn't bring myself to delete it all and start over, so this is what you got, sorry.**

 **P.S Beca might be written too harshly and OOC but I'm literally fed up of staring at it now, aha! Sorry.**


	37. 37 - A Ten P2

**A/N 1:** **If this is part two does it now make the title "A Twenty"? Umm…**

 **A Ten Part 2**

Beca wasn't really expecting Chloe to call her the minute she got back to her own apartment after the rehearsal dinner. She wasn't really expecting the redhead to make good on her word either but their arrangement didn't really leave much time for thought.

Before she even had a chance to take off her jacket, Beca was going back out again and meeting Chloe at a diner not too far from Aubrey and Jesse's. They eat pie and smoked more pot in the parking lot before they inevitably "got down to business" – Chloe's words.

Beca didn't really need any more convincing when it came the redhead's beauty and 'given score' but somehow the rest of their night together impressed her even more. It seemed from the moment both their lips locked in Beca's car, all of the potential awkward fumbling's and basic semantics (such as making out and walking up her apartment stairs) were forgotten and natural instincts just kicked in.

"Was that the kind of fun you had in mind?" Beca smirked as Chloe fell in a gentle heap on her chest. The hot breath tickled her shoulder when the other woman softy laughed into it.

The sheets were bunched around their waists and Beca couldn't really help but think of how intimate their positions were for just "some fun." The brunette felt Chloe's breathing even out before she snuggled further into the embrace causing Beca to automatically pull the sheets up and rest her arms around her lower back.

One night stands weren't exactly every night occurrences for Beca but they were regular; relationships were never something she ever wanted. Spending the night and 'cuddling' wasn't either, but there was something that felt right that night, so they both stayed in that position until morning.

 **XXX**

Beca was just sliding the last record onto the shelf when her eyes wandered to the clock.

17:01

She made her way to the counter and slid through the little gate with a nod to Mike still serving the same customer who had walked into the record store two hours ago. They shared a knowing look, before the older man continued his sentence about why vinyl sounded crisper than a CD with a not so subtle annoyance to his tone.

Beca smirked before continuing on to the back and into the staff room to gather her things.

"That annoying guy has been following Mike around since he started his shift" Grace announced as Beca opened her locker.

"I know, this is the fourth time he's been in this week" the brunette replied, putting on her jacket with the roll of her eyes.

"Yeah, well you know what weirdos a record store can attract" the blonde mumbled into the mug that was just shy of her lips before quickly pulling it away, "I mean you work here for one" she added with a grin.

Beca turned to face the now amused woman at the table, "And even bigger weirdos manage them, right?"

Grace laughed before giving her the finger, "Get out of here, Mitchell, before I make you do overtime" she warned playfully to a now fleeting Beca.

"I'm going, I'm going."

The brunette had worked at the record store for almost four years now and truth be told she was content with her job. Since graduating college, Beca had watched Jesse and Aubrey further themselves in their careers, whilst she continued to maintain the same position at the store. Much to her Dad's disapproval, Beca never had the ambition to pursue a career and was comfortable with the simpler things in life. The record store gave her a sense of family she had never really had and the perfect soundtrack to every shift was an added bonus.

She had always had a strong connection with music and it gave her an escape from everything, offering her a sanctuary from life when she needed it most. Despite her once keen interest in mixing during high school and college, Beca always knew it was just a hobby.

A quick scroll through her phone and Beca was stopping on one message in particular with a grin on her face. She quickly bid her goodbyes and began the short walk back to her apartment in a speedily fashion.

 **XXX**

When Beca rounded the corner, she was greeted by a familiar redhead with a small collection of DVDs tucked under her arm and a bag of popcorn in the other. Chloe was leaning against the wall, unaware of Beca's presence yet as her attention was focused solely on the phone in her right hand.

Beca stood hesitantly for a second, taking in the sight. Beca had had women waiting outside her apartment door before and most of the time it was completely spontaneous and uninvited. Although Chloe had messaged in advance, it was still a spontaneous visit and Beca felt a twinge of something different in her gut when she knew the other woman was coming over; even if it was to watch movies. Beca wanted Chloe in her apartment and she found herself wishing Aubrey's sister didn't have to return to Florida in three days.

Just as Chloe looked up, Beca was already closing the distance between them and placing a kiss on her lips. It was messy and uncoordinated due to their positions but it still seemed like the ground was moving underneath her feet.

Fuck – she was way over her head right now.

The fact that Chloe knew where everything was in Beca's kitchen should have sent those little alarm bells ringing inside her head. Whenever someone got too close, the brunette was quick to push them away and cut all ties, however Chloe was different.

This thought was quickly pushed away on a regular basis, the excuse of Chloe's soon departure at the end of the week justifying their newfound routine.

"So what are we watching first?" Chloe asked with a smile, joining the shorter woman on the couch.

Beca shrugged, "Whatever, movies aren't really my thing."

"I know, Bree told me. So I'm here to convert you."

The grin on the redhead's face was almost enough for Beca not to question her, well almost.

"You talked to Bree about me?"

"C'mon, Becs, I've spent almost every night here, she's not stupid you know?"

She hadn't thought of that; obviously Aubrey knew. Now she thought about it, the blonde woman had been giving her pointed stares and one worded replies since the rehearsal dinner.

"She's not happy about it, is she?" Beca asked with a smirk, a hint of satisfaction emerging as she thought how pissed the other woman would be.

"She's not thrilled" Chloe laughed, scooting closer to the brunette and resting the bowl of popcorn on her knee, "But she's more pissed with you than she is me."

Beca sat up slightly, looking down at a smug Chloe, "But this was all your idea?" Beca challenged, trying to keep a stern look on her face.

"Yeah and I'm her sister, so you get the blame" Chloe retorted, pressing play on the remote between them, "Now be quiet and watch the movie" she scolded playfully, pressing a soft kiss to Beca's cheek. The brunette ignored her light headedness and the butterflies before cuddling closer and getting more comfortable.

In all fairness it was a miracle they had resisted each other for the first fifty minutes, but now Chloe was led on her back, with Beca resting between her legs as she made quick work of removing her shirt.

"I think we should…" Chloe stopped midsentence as she lifted her neck, making it easier for Beca to continue expertly rolling her lips over it, "…carry this on in there" she breathed out, pointing towards the ajar bedroom door down the hall.

Beca interlocked their fingers together before pinning them against the sofa and above Chloe's head. Her knee was sliding up, meeting Chloe's raised hips as they moved rhythmically against it.

"I don't think you could wait."

The words were mumbled into the skin of Chloe's hipbone and hands quickly searched for the button of her jeans. The redhead let out an appreciative moan as she rushed Beca's fingers to work.

Once they were finished on the sofa, both woman shred the remainder of their clothes and resumed similar activates in the bedroom.

Chloe was stood by the closet, pulling one of Beca's shirts off the door and putting her arms into it. Beca watched as the other woman's skin slowly disappeared button by button in the dim light of the bedroom lamp. Chloe flashed her a lazy smile before sitting cross legged in front of Beca on the bed with her hands resting in her lap and pulling the cotton further down her thighs.

The brunette mirrored her position, leaning forward and kissing Chloe's lips for a moment too long.

"Is this still fun for you?" Chloe asked once they parted, playing with one of Beca's fingers currently resting on her bare knee.

It seemed like a straight forward question, but Beca couldn't help but read into the double meaning; _is this more than fun to you now?_

"Yeah, I don't want us to stop, if that's what you mean?"

It was a weak answer, but playing dumb was a common used defence mechanism for her. When Chloe nodded, the shorter woman felt a small sense of worry.

"Do you want to be my date for the wedding?" she added bravely, noting how Chloe had immediately stopped pulling at her fingers.

"This isn't just fun anymore, is it?"

Chloe was looking her in the eye now, but her facial expression still unreadable.

Beca took a deep breath, "I don't think it ever was, Chlo."

The redhead's hand was wrapping around Beca's before she smiled a soft smile, "I'd really like to be your date."

Although they had addressed the topic, they had both carelessly danced around hoping smiles and touches would communicate what neither of them said. They just slept together after that; Chloe on Beca's chest as the brunette tangled her fingers in her hair and rubbed her thumb in soft circles along her jaw. The thought of Chloe leaving crept into her mind for a moment but she let the even breaths lull her to sleep.

 **XXX**

Aubrey and Jesse's ceremony was nothing short of perfect, even Beca could admit that. Their vows were romantic and meaningful, but the pure look of love in their eyes was enough to make her realise true love did exist and movie happy endings were always possible in real life – it took Jesse years for her to admit that and he was more than thrilled he'd finally proved his point.

Chloe had been by Beca's side from the minute the brunette picked her up just before lunch. Being Aubrey's sister automatically made Chloe bridesmaid and in Beca's mind the redhead stole the show. So much so, Aubrey had to physically shut Beca's chin when she first glanced at the other woman back at their apartment.

Chloe was definitely a ten; no doubt about it.

The wedding reception had been in full swing for a while now, the joyous occasion rubbing off on everyone in attendance – yep, even Beca. She's more than ashamed to admit there was a watery film settling over her eyes during the couple's first dance. It didn't go unnoticed by her date, but Beca brushed it off.

Chloe and Beca found themselves out on the balcony again. Beca was rolling the paper in her hands against her fingers, as she wet the edge of it with her tongue before sparking up and offering it to Chloe.

"I feel like my speech didn't do today justice" Beca said blowing smoke from her lips.

The redhead slapped her arm lightly, "Don't be silly – your speech was amazing. It was honest and sincere, and I'm not having you tell me it wasn't" Chloe warned, with a pointed stare followed by the hint of a smile.

"You think?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, so quit being so hard on yourself."

As if to punctuate her words further Chloe pulled Beca in for a kiss.

Jesse had been one of Beca's longest and most loyal friends, so to say she felt a huge amount of pressure to nail her speech was an understatement. She had been working on it for months, trying to express just how happy she was for him and Aubrey's new beginning. Chloe had stayed up in the early hours of the morning with Beca for many nights reading her new additions, so she welcomed her reassurance.

Chloe passed the joint back to Beca with a smile that made her heart feel like it was about to thud out of her chest cavity.

"I'm really glad you agreed to being my date tonight."

Chloe pulled the shorter woman's arm over her shoulder before sinking into her side with a light hum, "I'm thinking of extending my stay in Atlanta for a bit."

Beca squeezed her hand before whispering into her ear, "We'll talk about that after. Let us just have tonight."

The redhead flicked the smoke away, as they both watched its descent down the building, "I really wanted you to ask me to be your date tonight."

She opened her mouth to speak again, but Beca silenced her with a kiss.

Later in the evening, Aubrey was pulling Beca to the side. The many glasses of wine pouring through every syllable of her words.

"You've been sleeping with my sister, haven't you?"

Beca shuffled on her feet, trying her hardest to suppress the smile pulling at her lips.

"Yeah."

There was a pause, as she settled under the older woman's hard stare, unsure if should prepare to dodge a punch to the face.

But then Aubrey was smiling.

"I told you she was off limits for a reason, Beca" she started, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I always knew you two would somehow enter into something much deeper than either of you anticipated."

Beca nodded, almost guiltily.

"She'll coax all of your good qualities out of you and you won't even be able to pinpoint the exact moment you fell in love with her?" the younger woman recited Aubrey's previous words back to her.

"Exactly" Aubrey smiled.

"Just..." she paused before standing up straight, "…don't break her heart, OK?"

"Never."

 **XXX**

 **A/N 2** **: So there is something in my gut that tells me I should follow this up with a part three. Let me know if anybody is game for that in the reviews.**


	38. 38 - Wanted

**Prompt: "Beca's been in love with Chloe and can't stand to see her getting her heart broken anymore so she finds the courage (well, more like pushed by Aubrey and Jesse to "go get her girl") to serenade her with a song she wrote. Based on the Hunter Hayes song, 'Wanted'"**

 **A/N 1** **– So, although there are plenty of "Beca sings Chloe a song and they kiss" one-shots, I for one do not really see Beca singing to Chloe, ever. Like maybe she could do it discreetly during Bella practice or during a performance, but as far as serenading; I feel like Beca is cooler than that. Not that having someone sing to you can't be nice (I seriously wouldn't know though, so…), it's just not for everyone. Personally, I think it would be awkward, weird and uncomfortable for both the people involved and I think Beca would think that too, so no serenading here, sorry :(**

 **And I'm sorry I basically just rambled my way through that explanation (and removed a big part of the prompt!) – hopefully what's written below will be a bit better…**

 **Wanted**

Beca was sat at her desk, tweaking a mix that had been saved unfinished for a while. Despite the idea that inspired her to spend some time on it earlier, she couldn't seem to focus on it now.

She was distracted.

After a poor attempt of trying to clear her mind, she pulled the headphones off her ears and closed her laptop with a sigh.

Chloe was on another date tonight.

And Beca couldn't think of anything else.

She had done her best friend duties for the past month or so; helping chose outfits, consulting on non-wordy text messages and excitedly clapping along whenever there was a reply.

Yes, Beca had done it all, with a forced smile and a crushing feeling of jealousy settling in the pit of her stomach whenever Chloe mentioned Tom. In the beginning, the DJ really tried to sell it, mustering all the convincing she possibly could, but now it was wearing thin and Beca wasn't even sure Chloe had noticed.

Truth be told, Tom was a dick.

Maybe Beca had a biased opinion, but even Aubrey and Jesse had agreed.

The six foot two, dark and handsome football player was arrogant, insensitive and completely unaware of how amazing Chloe Beale truly was.

It made Beca's blood boil and no amount of mixing was going to stop her mind wandering back to her best friend and that asshole on a date.

 **XXX**

"Midnight snack?"

The unexpected loudness of the voice startled Beca, causing the milk she was currently pouring onto her cereal to jerk forward and leave a puddle on the kitchen work surface.

"Amy, what the fuck?"

Beca began mopping up the mess with some kitchen roll as she glared at the oblivious Bella in the doorway.

"Why are you downstairs?" Fat Amy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Usually you're up this late when you're working on a mix, which means food such as cereal…" she pointed to the bowl Beca was now holding in her hands, "…is the last thing on your mind. So that means you actually can't sleep, perhaps because a certain someone is on a date" she dragged out with a knowing look.

Beca rolled her eyes, "Alright, Sherlock…", she craned her neck forward to look around the door frame, "…is Mr. Watson going to join us soon, or…?" she asked sarcastically.

"You're waiting up for her again, aren't you?" Fat Amy smirked watching as Beca dropped her spoon back in the bowl.

"And I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for you meddling kids" Beca cried out with the shaking of her first.

Now it was the blonde's turn to roll her eyes. Fat Amy reached forward, snatching the dish from the other woman's hands and walked off with it, as Beca looked on in shock.

"Hey, that was…" her words trailed off as she furrowed her eyebrows together.

"Whatever, short stack. Stay up and get your girl!"

Beca leaned back on the counter and let out a deep sigh, was she really being this obvious and if she was had Chloe noticed?

Before Tom, Beca would be having an internal meltdown accompanied by a stroke at the thought of Chloe having even the slightest hint of Beca's true feelings but now she actually wished the redhead had noticed.

 **XXX**

Many late nights turned into early mornings for Beca recently. Her time with Chloe was getting shorter and more distant, as she and Tom's relationship progressed, whilst her best friend sat patiently at the side lines hoping she wasn't fading into the background.

Beca's behavior was growing more daring and reckless than before; whenever Chloe turned from the mirror on her closet door and asked Beca how she looked, the brunette would smile and utter the word "perfect" with so much sincerity and conviction she was sure she'd never have the courage to say before. If Chloe asked for advice on a particularly elusive message from Tom, Beca would shake her head and advise her not to reply, "If he doesn't realise what he has, it's not worth your time, Chlo."

It was growing more and more difficult for Beca to stay quiet, especially when Chloe was returning back to the Bella house in the early hours of the morning with tears in her eyes and a list full of Tom's petty excuses. Beca had willingly taken a backseat in their relationship and instead wrapped an arm around Chloe's shoulders and resisted the urge to kiss her lips, as well as the three words that seemed to constantly sit on the tip of her tongue and threatened to spill out.

It had been five months since Tom became part of Chloe's life and Beca was starting to realise he was slowly chipping away at Chloe's optimism and removing parts of her best friend piece by piece.

"He just doesn't understand what I'm trying to say" Chloe sniffled out as Beca passed her a tissue from the bedside.

"I've heard this all before" Beca mumbled, almost bitterly.

"Tom isn't a bad guy, Becs" the redhead assured, swiping the tissue under her eyes, "He just has a tough time showing his emotions."

The brunette tried to hold back a scoff – she was tired of playing the indifferent best friend now.

"Chloe, telling you to leave a party because he wanted to spend time with his friends instead of you is hardly him having trouble articulating his feelings."

The redhead rested her chin on her knees, looking at her best friend in silence. Beca shuffled uncomfortably on her bed under the other woman's stare.

"You really don't like him, do you?"

"I want to like him because you like him but truth of the matter is he doesn't treat you right. I can't like somebody who constantly makes my best friend cry."

She leaned forward with a sad smile, softly running the pad of her thumb under Chloe's eye to wipe away another tear.

Chloe gave her a soft smile as she almost leaned into Beca's touch.

"He said he loves me, Beca. Nobody has ever said that to me before."

Beca was sure her heart broke in two the minute Chloe uttered that sentence. Suddenly the reason for Chloe's resilience and persistence to stay with him becoming clear.

" _If only you knew."_

The sound of her whisper was muffled by her own shoulder, as Beca shuffled closer.

"But sometimes, it's like he doesn't even want me" Chloe added quietly allowing her legs to straighten in front of her; the light thud rocking Beca on the bed.

"Leave him and stay with me" the brunette smiled, lunging forward and wrapping her best friend in a tight hug. She could feel Chloe's shoulders rock slightly and the sound of her laughter send shivers down Beca's spine. So she squeezed even tighter with a chuckle of her own.

"We could watch The Notebook with ice cream and never leave this room" Beca added with a grin.

Chloe laughed louder before pulling away slightly, "The Notebook?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow, "You wouldn't last five minutes" Chloe smirked, sinking back into her arms.

"You never know; I might surprise you."

The words had an underlining meaning but Beca still punctuated them with a laugh and soft kiss to Chloe's temple. She let out a long sigh, paying closer attention to the way the other woman's warmth radiating her chest. The fact that Chloe didn't pull away made Beca think perhaps she wanted the (Beca's) contact, so she settled further into the mattress, her grip loosening ever so slightly as she hoped in this moment the redhead felt want she had previously expressed.

Partly because she deserved it, but partly because Beca had wanted Chloe Beale for the best part of a year now and she wished more than anything she could communicate just how much with a hug.

 **XXX**

Beca was absent-mindedly stirring the spoon in her coffee, thoughts of Chloe and the night before on loop in her head. She tried not to think too much into the fact that Chloe didn't return to her bed last night and instead stayed cuddled with Beca like she used to a couple of months ago. The whole thing was quickly turning bittersweet, as she wondered how long it would take for the redhead to run back Tom.

The whole day?

A couple more hours?

Or straight after the Bella practice currently under way.

And as if on cue, "Hey, Mitchell! Why are you not at practice?"

Aubrey's voice caught the attention of everyone in the coffee shop but Beca's, who instead decided to huddle further over her mug hoping Aubrey's booming voice was just a figment of her imagination.

The tap on her shoulder and the loud "Becaw!" made her think not.

Jesse and Aubrey were suddenly in her line of sight and making themselves comfortable in the two vacant chairs across from her.

"Well?" Aubrey asked expectantly.

"Chloe has got them doing some trust exercises or something" she looked at Jesse with a knowing smirk before adding, "And we know that is not my thing."

While Jesse laughed, Aubrey just glared.

"Just because I'm no longer a Bella doesn't mean I'm going to stop bossing you around" the blonde warned, reaching for a sachet of sugar.

Since graduating, Aubrey hadn't strayed too far from Barden. Her internship at a law firm she managed to maintain during her study had progressed in to a full time paid job - her relationship with Jesse and closeness with the Bella's being the main reasons she accepted it.

Jesse quickly interrupted the stare down that was occurring at the table.

"How is she?"

Beca's eyes fell to the contents of the cup in her hands as if it held answer, "I don't know, better, I think. They had another fight."

Aubrey sighed, before leaning over the table, "Look, Beca, we all know that Tom started out as a distraction, but it's time now."

Her voice held a sense of finality and a seemingly cryptic message only she and Jesse understood. When the DJ didn't reply, Aubrey was speaking again.

"You're aware of the expression, "The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else" right?"

Beca looked at Jesse with pleading eyes, trying her best to communicate "Help me, dude."

Aubrey shook her head in defeat.

"Tom was a distraction from you, Becs" Jesse added with a shrug.

Beca suddenly found herself shaking her head involuntarily. Her eyes scanning everyone in the coffee shop, as if every single one of their faces knew this revelation Beca had just uncovered.

"But I thought…" her brain seemed to draw a blank and could no longer form sentences.

"No, you didn't. Last year you were too wrapped up in everything to see what was right in front of you, but now you see it, right?"

Aubrey was back to communicating in riddles, thankfully Jesse was there.

"Go and get your girl, Beca!" he exclaimed, bringing his hand down on the table as an aid to snap her into action.

Thoughts were circling her brain in waves of equal confusion and realisation.

"But she keeps going back to him?" she mumbled out quietly, the words scratching against her now dry throat.

Aubrey scoffed loudly, "Because she has her need for you confused with her need for Tom. The time to tell her how you feel is right now, Beca."

There was a fraction of doubt clouding Beca's mind. Certain things were sliding into place and Chloe's little remarks and actions finally making perfect sense.

Then there was the whole thing with Tom, that did nothing but make her skull ache in confusion.

None of that made sense to her.

"Dude?"

Jesse's voice was bringing her out of her thoughts.

"What have you got to lose right now? Don't say friendship because I think we all know you've both temporarily lost a part of that since she started dating Tom - just go and tell her how you feel."

Before Beca had a second to analyse all that had recently come to light, she was on her feet in a now more crowded coffee shop with a determined expression etched into her face. She nodded a few times before walking with purpose.

Out of the door, down the graveled path and to the auditorium.

She paused once she got to the double doors, peeping through the window to see a hall full of Bella's currently wearing blind folds and stood in pairs. She shook her head with a smile, before walking away.

She'll come back once Chloe is alone, she thought.

Then she was turning back, a new wave of confidence washing over her and a gripping fear of losing her nerve.

Along with the blind folds and being wrapped up in their trust activity nobody heard Beca make her way over to Chloe sat down on one of the pull down seats.

Due to the odd number, Beca was stumped as to why the redhead was sat alone, wearing a Bella scarf over her eyes. The sight only made her smile more; a combination of excitement and nervousness swirling in her stomach.

She sat down, gently taking one of Chloe's hands in her own. Her hand reached for the blindfold but Beca stilled it with a reassuring, "Chlo, it's me."

The beaming smile on her face made the brunette feel more sure of her decision to rush over here and finally come clean. Chloe's hand settled back into her lap and searched for Beca's.

Beca squeezed it gently, moving closer, hoping the closeness would make their potentially public moment seem more private. She wet her lips to speak but decided against it and instead rested them on Chloe's. She felt the redhead's hands shaking out of her own and reaching for her shoulders.

The DJ was sure her moment was about to end. The kiss she had spent so many sleepless nights envisioning it and the rushing desire to know how Chloe's lips felt on hers and what they tasted like was finally happening.

Before Chloe could push her away, Beca was hungrily deepening the kiss, praying with every ounce of her body Chloe wanted this too.

It lasted a little longer; how much longer Beca wasn't sure, but when Chloe did pull away, Beca was sure she never wanted to stop.

Beca opened her eyes, surprised Chloe wasn't already pulling at the scarf obstructing her vision. There was something about not seeing into her eyes that made Beca speak, "I just want to wrap you up. Want to kiss your lips. I want to make you feel wanted and I want to call you mine. I'm sorry, but fuck Tom, Chloe. I love you so much more than he ever will."

She internally cringed at the song she just quoted. It was unintentional and clichéd, but for some strange reason the lyrics to Chloe's favorite song were the first words to spill from her lips. Beca was unable to see what Chloe was feeling right now, so she quickly lifted her hands and delicately removed the blind fold, Chloe's blue eyes starting back at her.

She thought they looked watery but before she could inspect them closer, Chloe's lips were firmly pressed on hers .

The kiss felt different to the first. It was less hesitant and this time Chloe was the one in control. Her hands were resting on Beca's neck and pulling the shorter woman closer and further to the edge of her own chair. Beca was unable to think of anything, completely consumed by everything that was Chloe Beale.

The wetness Beca felt on her cheek made her pull away slowly, her hands instinctively reaching up to the redhead's face and wiping away the tear. Chloe let out a shaky breath before she started to speak.

"If only you knew?" Chloe asked, her eyes fixed on Beca's.

The brunette looked back at her confused, "What?"

"Last night when I said nobody had ever told me they loved me before…" she paused for a second, "…You whispered if only you knew, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"I always needed to know for sure, Becs."

Beca bit her lip nervously before replying, "Is that why you didn't go back to your room?"

Chloe nodded with a soft smile, "And because I love you."

 **XXX**

 **Thank you for prompting and I hope I didn't ruin it too much without the singing and knowing the song, 'Wanted' very well**

 **A/N 2:** **Please tell me someone got my Scooby-doo reference or else things might be awkward now.**

 **A/N 3:** So due to the recent increase in the guest reviews as of late I am leaving a long authors note – yes, please groan internally and skip it if you hate my never ending drivel.

For those that decided to read on, cheers. This is basically dedicated to all the guest reviewers because I hate the fact that when I reply to a review it classes my reply as a review and I think that would make my story look better on paper that it actually is – oh, and it would drive my OCD wild!

First order of business; guest reviewer from chapter 36 – no, I have not seen the Bechloe video to Rita Ora's song. I really wanted to answer that because I felt rude not addressing it in my update of chapter 37.

Guest reviewer number 2 on chapter 36 – no, I won't be doing a follow up to the story, sorry but I see you have a lot of theories as to where they could end up. I guess personally I think Beca and Chloe would enter back into the same kind of relationship that probably has a longer "honeymoon" period where Beca tries to be better and Chloe gets pulled back in again. I can't really see a happy ending for them in this scenario though, I think eventually they both just ruin the love they had until it just finally dissipates and they have no option but to both move on, you know?

Guest reviewer the prompt for chapter 35 – When you said they tried to revive her, my angst clearly kicked in high gear and jumped to conclusions. However, realistically, if the Bellas couldn't save her, then by the time help arrived, surely it would be too late? I'm sorry you weren't completely happy with it, but no hard feelings? D:

As for the two guest reviewers who requested multichapter fics for 'A ten" and "Chemistry":

I'm really enjoying one shots at the moment because it gives me the freedom to basically write whatever I want. There isn't much opportunity to get in a slump with a story because I can't make it too complex that I struggle with a plot, if that makes sense?

"A ten" – Thank you for taking the time to review, dude! I don't like writing part three's and I really bent my own rules for that one, aha. Although it does have the potential to go forward as an independent fic, I don't think it would run a long course, so everything that needs to be addressed will be in the third instalment.

"Chemistry" – Anne, (Can I call you Anne? Shit, I shouldn't have gotten so personal with it…) I genuinely have no idea how I would make it a full blown story. I really had fun when I wrote it but I don't really see where I could go with it other than they go on a date. But I do seriously appreciate your kind words, okight?

A big shout out to the guests following and reviewing this fic anonymously, even if that would have been so much easier to PM to you all individually, aha!


	39. 39 - A Ten P3

**A/N –** **So as promised, part three which makes the new title thirty now, right? (Nothing like killing a joke by using it more than twice.)**

 **I feel like I've overhyped it and I'm totally going to shit on your high expectations for this. So, what you're about to read is the biggest pile of rubbish I have ever attempted to write. There, are your expectations lowered now? Phew, OK, good, read on…**

 **A Ten Part Three**

Beca placed the key in the lock as Chloe's legs tightened around her waist. She had her pinned up against the wall, too much flesh on display for the public place they were currently in. Neither of them were able to open the door just yet, both of their hands too busy with other things. After a few minutes, Chloe was eventually pushing off the concrete behind her and attempting to steer Beca threw the door and into her apartment.

Despite the lack of communication, both were able to understand each other perfectly. Beca was pulling the dress up over Chloe's head, whilst the older woman pushed the front door shut with her foot.

Although they hadn't really addressed much of Chloe's lingering departure back to Florida, it seemed they were both voicing their feelings through gentle touches and passionate kisses. Before either of them knew it, they found themselves enclosed in the familiarity of Beca's bed, bare skin pressed against skin, while hands lingered in different areas.

There was something much more intimate between them tonight.

Chloe's fingertips caressed Beca's lower back longer and Beca's lips tried to desperately taste every inch of Chloe's stomach. There was a deeper desire and stronger hunger than they had been previously and it made the sex less physical and more sensual.

Yeah, Beca was well aware this wasn't just fun anymore and the look in Chloe's eye made her think she felt the same.

Chloe was led on the bed, a thin bedsheet wrapped around her body and resting under her arms. Beca was sprawled out nearer the bottom on her side, as she softly traced a pattern over the ankle resting on her hip.

"I know we agreed not tonight, but technically it's already morning."

Beca's thumb stilled on the outline of the other woman's tattoo above her ankle before she let out a chuckle.

The brunette was surprised Chloe was able to resist broaching the topic sooner. She could see the little tell-tale signs she had picked up in the short time since they met. The redhead would worry her lip between her teeth or run a hand through her hair one too many times; Beca had noticed these details more so since they got back from the wedding reception a couple of hours ago.

Subconsciously, Beca had been paying closer attention to the woman who had spent the majority of the week in this very bed with her. A lot of hours were spent wishing their time would never end and now that it was slowly running out, Beca was taking everything in, willing all the little things that made Chloe so _Chloe_ to memory.

"I knew it wouldn't take you long before you cracked" she sighed out with a smile.

The other woman good naturedly shook her head before shuffling closer.

"Would you mind if I stuck around longer?"

Chloe's voice was unusually quiet and nervous and it made every muscle in Beca's body tense. She never wanted Chloe to feel like that around her.

"No, of course not. I want nothing more…" she trailed off, focussing her attention on the hand that had found its way into hers.

"Why do I sense a 'but' coming?"

Beca smiled softly before sitting up, "Isn't it- you're still going to have to leave though."

The words were a mixture of a sigh and whisper. The truth of the matter was Beca wished Chloe didn't have to leave Atlanta at all; perhaps delaying the inevitable would only make it harder when they had to return back to their old lives, without each other.

"When I go back to Florida," Chloe paused as if in search of the right words, "Would you-would you still want us to be whatever we are now?"

Beca covered her face with her hands before blowing the air from her cheeks, "I don't know."

Chloe's face fell, until she smiled with the shake of her head. There was something in her eyes Beca couldn't quite describe, until the redhead was getting to her feet and heading out of the room; the brunette focussed on the trail of the bedsheet in silence as she disappeared.

After a few minutes, Chloe stepped back in wearing her bridesmaids dress and ran a hand through her hair, again.

"I'm going to sleep at Aubrey's" she announced, retrieving her shoes from the bedroom floor.

"I don't want you going back to an empty apartment at this time, Chlo" Beca replied, getting to her feet and nervously pulling at the hem of her t-shirt.

"I'll be fine."

Beca moved closer, gently pulling at Chloe's elbow before she could carry on walking away, "Chloe-"

She quickly shrugged out of the brunette's hold with a definite "No."

"Beca, I think we just need time apart to figure stuff out. We've pretty much been together every day from the night I arrived. Let's be rational here, OK?"

The shorter woman recoiled back, hugging her arms around her waist with a defeated nod. She watched Chloe leave, all the protests she should have said floating around her head without the means of an escape.

 **XXX**

Beca woke up later that morning alone. It was strange opening her eyes and not feeling the warmth of Chloe beside her. She let out a sigh and rolled onto her back.

If it felt this lonely waking up in an empty bed now, how much would it hurt to wake up knowing Chloe wasn't just a mere ten-minute drive down the street?

Beca hadn't had a serious relationship since college. Shortly after her and Jesse decided to just be friends, she met Abby.

She was a psych major and Beca found herself drawn to the blonde girl in the library during a last minute study session late one night. It had started out as a friendship but quickly progressed into something much more and Beca fell in love, hard.

It lasted almost fourteen months and Beca caught herself wondering about where and what Abby was up to these days. They both reluctantly decided to break it off just before graduation; with Beca staying in Atlanta and Abby moving to New York it seemed to make sense. Their lives were just beginning (her Dad would argue with Beca's side of that though) and people change after college.

It took the brunette a while to get over her first love and Jesse tried his very best to convince her that's why she wasn't that keen on relationships now.

He might have been right.

Since meeting Chloe, Beca found herself imagining what that would like; to wake up and fall asleep with the redhead by her side and finally accept the love she so desperately felt for her.

 _Wait, love?_

Beca sat up at that thought- she wasn't expecting that word to swirl around her mind this morning.

She ran through all the little details of the past seven days; the butterflies, the light-headedness, the tingling sensation in her limbs.

The hand holding; the cuddling; the late night conversations.

 _Wow, love is a pretty perfect description._

She reached for the phone currently on charge by the bed and tapped on Chloe's name. Beca touched the message icon, but immediately closed it and locked the device.

She got to her feet and began getting dressed; she had one thing to take care of before she talked to Chloe about this.

 **XXX**

"Why?" Chloe asked, confused.

She was sat on Aubrey and Jesse's couch, following Beca's purposeful pace with her eyes.

She stopped pacing, returning a puzzled look of her own before sitting down beside the redhead.

"I have nothing keeping me here."

The reply was that simple for Beca – she was willing to uproot her life in the short space of time she had and follow Chloe straight to Florida without once looking back.

All the years Beca had listened to her Father's lectures and rants about securing a future and making something of herself all made sense, but he was always pushing her towards the wrong opportunity. It wasn't a job, nor was it a career. Her future was a person, but not just any person. No, the woman sat bewildered on the cushion beside her was everything Beca had ever needed to feel accomplished.

And now Chloe seemed to be having doubts.

"No, I mean why now? When I asked you that question earlier you said you didn't know. What's changed?" she asked, searching the other woman's eyes intently.

Beca took a deep breath.

"So this is going to sound crazy."

Chloe smiled and it was all the reassurance Beca needed to voice the words that had been swimming around her head all afternoon.

"I've never wanted to try at anything. Not a job, not a hobby, nothing. I've always been content just breezing through life without ever making any effort and so far, that's been enough."

The redhead nodded, urging Beca to continue.

"But since I met you, all of that has changed. I can't tell you why or the exact moment it happened but I want to try and I want to make an effort with you. I know it hasn't been long and maybe it's just lust or the situation we're in that's making me feel this way, but right now I am one hundred percent sure I'm in love you and I want to be where ever you are. Atlanta, Florida, the fucking moon, Chlo! You make me better and I want to be better, for you."

The silence wasn't a great sign, so Beca decided to keep talking.

"Apart from Aubrey and Jesse and the people at the store, I have no ties here. I can just up and leave to Florida with you tomorrow, but if you don't want that then I guess-"

"No!'

Chloe's hand was reaching for Beca's forearm.

"Can you just shut up for five seconds so I can process this" she laughed, moving closer to a nodding Beca.

Perhaps Beca's confession was too much. She hadn't really prepared much of a speech before she raced over here, but now she was thinking maybe quitting her job at the record store ten minutes ago might have been a little rash.

But for once, Beca was excited by the prospect of change.

The prospect of being able to call Chloe her girlfriend and not just a fun arrangement they made at her sister's wedding.

"What if I told you my job is hectic and my apartment is tiny?" the redhead asked worriedly. "Or if I told you Tampa is nothing like Miami and your pale skin wouldn't last a minute in the sun?"

"What if I told you I already quit my job?" Beca rushed out with a shy smile. "What if I told you I can buy a life supply of sunscreen?"

Chloe giggled, before turning to face Beca, their knees touching.

"There are a lot of if's about this, Becs" Chloe replied seriously, her eyes dragged down to the hands currently fidgeting in her lap.

"Do you love me?" the brunette asked, stilling the other woman's nervous twitches.

"Beca, you know it's not that simple" Chloe started, a strong sense of reasoning in her voice.

"Chloe…" she spoke sternly, the trace of a smile on her lips, "…answer the question."

"I love you."

Chloe trained her eyes on Beca, the look of honesty in them made Beca's heart tingle.

"So I'm coming to Tampa" she stated simply.

The redhead let out a giddy laugh, before breathing, "You're coming to Tampa" with a beaming smile.

Beca was surging forward and attaching her lips to Chloe's, her kiss sealing the promise of the words she had spoken from the minute she walked into the apartment.

Everything in that moment just felt right and Beca felt with every ounce of her being moving to be with Chloe was by far the biggest and greatest decision she had ever made.

 **XXX**


	40. 40 - One Mississippi, Two Mississippi

**One Mississippi, Two Mississippi**

Beca was sat on the old blue couch watching the rain bounce off the driveway. The garage doors were rolled up as the sound of the storm filled her mind and silenced her thoughts. There was something about the thunder and lightning that made Beca feel unimportant and insignificant – it was a welcomed feeling. A reminder that the world was and always would be bigger than anything that lived in it.

She let out a sigh, closing her eyes to the bellowing sound of thunder that echoed off the white walls and bounced around her garage with a smile. It was nice watching her neighbourhood empty of chatter and business; the rain washing away their usual day by day routine.

Her fingers tightened around the mug in her hands as she brought it to her lips. The water trickled down the street like the coffee dripped down her throat and Beca felt content and thankful all at once. An unexpected thunderstorm had completely changed her quiet Saturday afternoon for the better.

Because a storm gave her an excuse.

It gave her a reason to come over.

And for that, Beca was more than thankful.

The last time they spoke, things had quickly gotten out of hand. The words that should have carried weight and meaningfulness were spat out without a second thought; tears slipped down Chloe's cheeks and a lump formed in Beca's throat.

" _You're going to leave me here, alone."_

When Beca uttered that sentence she had no idea it would end their interaction the way it did – with Beca running home and leaving Chloe emotionally crumpled on the sidewalk.

" _Beca, you aren't being fair."_

They were yelled behind her as Beca quickly planted one foot in front of the other as quickly as she could. She didn't care to stop or look over her shoulder at her best friend sobbing in the street – Beca just ran faster, away from the root of her pain.

 **XXX**

 _Chloe was leaning forward from the couch and running her finger over the trackpad of Beca's laptop sitting on the table beside her. The music stopped and resumed, the soft and quiet beat of a new song filling the garage._

" _Do you think it will pass soon?" she asked, nudging Beca with her foot._

 _The brunette looked up from her phone, settling her attention on the redhead who was almost sat on her, "Why, is my company that bad?"_

 _Chloe nestled further into the sofa, resting the majority of her body on Beca's legs with a smile, "Well, at least the music is half decent."_

 _Beca threw her phone on the couch cushion with a smile, her hand instinctively resting on Chloe's knee. The redhead sunk even further into Beca's warmth with a smile of her own, the pitter patter of the rain still audible over the music filling her best friend's garage._

 _Chloe had known Beca for forever – perhaps that was inaccurate considering their one-year age difference, but Chloe can't really remember much of her first year on this planet. It felt strange to think she was able to function without Beca by her side._

 _To everyone else Beca Mitchell was an enigma but to Chloe she was someone else; caring, sensitive, warm, and above everything someone she could always relay on. Which explains why they are currently cooped up in Beca's garage watching the storm unfold through the open doors._

 _When they were younger, Beca feared the lightning and the loud claps of thunder that followed with it. Chloe would always rush over to Beca's house across the street no matter the time and engulf her in a hug, promising everything was going to be OK._

 _Now they were older, Beca was no longer scared but they still found themselves huddled on this very sofa in Beca's garage watching the rain dance on the sidewalk - Chloe had deemed it "their thing" much to Beca's forced annoyance._

" _You know; I could just throw you out in the rain" Beca teased with the raise of an eyebrow._

 _The corners of Chloe's mouth upturned into a smile, "Yeah and I could drag you with me, so…" she sighed out thoughtfully._

 _As if already aware of the cogs turning inside her head, Beca sat up and shot her a stern look, "Don't even think about it, Beale."_

 _Chloe laughed, "You're no fun."_

" _Yeah, well at least the music is half decent" Beca retorted with a smirk, wriggling her legs from under Chloe's and planting them on the floor._

" _So, how are you feeling about graduation?" the brunette asked, her eyes fixed on Chloe's front door across the street._

 _The redhead brought her legs to her chest and let out a sigh as she rested her chin on her knees._

 _ **Graduation.**_

 _It was a sore subject for both of them – an unwelcomed reminder of their futures. Chloe had applied for colleges. All of them had great facilities and gleaming recommendations, however, the majority of them were out of state, some on the other side of the country and Beca still had a year of high school to complete before venturing out to LA in order to kick start her music career._

 _The question was heavy between them, creating a thickness of silence in the air. It was the first time Beca had ever brought it up and Chloe was beginning to think her best friend never would – if she was being honest, Beca's outright bluntness of it caught her off guard._

" _Scared."_

 _Beca's eyes found Chloe's, her expression unreadable._

" _Excited" she breathed out shakily. She lifted her head from her knees watching Beca's gaze drop to the floor._

" _Torn" she stated flatly, dropping her own head down with a bigger sigh._

 _After a few seconds of silence, Beca turned on the couch, crossing her legs in front of her and finally maintaining eye contact with the worried blue's staring back at her._

" _Have you heard back from any colleges yet?"_

 _Beca smiled slightly; Chloe could tell it was forced but appreciated the kindness of it._

" _Yeah, a few."_

" _Well that's great!"_

 _The fact that she didn't even have to confirm any more details was a testament to the belief Beca always had in her._

" _Any college would be lucky to have you, Chlo."_

 _Beca's smile was less forced now, but it didn't quite reach her eyes._

 _The feeling of dread was nestling in the redhead's stomach again, like it always did when she thought about leaving Beca. The tears were forming in the corner of her eyes and with Beca looking at her the way she was; Chloe wasn't sure she could keep them at bay._

 _She untangled herself and rested on her knees, arms reaching for Beca. As she felt familiar hands secure themselves on her hips and pull her closer, Chloe felt the tears trickle down her cheeks. They stayed like that for a moment with the soft claps of thunder echoing from the distance._

" _You have to pursue your dreams, Chloe" was mumbled into the crook of her neck, causing more tears to full and a quiet sniffle to be pressed into her shoulder._

" _Besides you're much better than this shitty town."_

 _Beca was pulling back with a watery smile of her own, settling back into the couch and pulling Chloe into her side. The brunette busied her hands by playing with Chloe's fingers resting in her lap, a tell-tale sign Beca Mitchell was trying to "keep her shit together."_

" _It'll be OK" Beca sighed out unsteadily with a quick squeeze of her best friend's shoulders._

 _A comfortable silence fell over them before Chloe had a thought._

" _Well this is ironic."_

 _Beca stilled her hands and waited for the redhead to continue._

" _All these years I was the one telling you it was going to be OK during storms" she chuckled._

 **XXX**

Beca had her eyes fixed on the window of the house above the street. No matter how much she squinted or tilted her head, she still couldn't make out the desk she knew was sat in front of Chloe's window. She found her hand twitching to unlock her phone; an overwhelming urge to check the time and messages because the storm started twenty minutes ago and Chloe still wasn't here.

There was a flash of lightening.

"One Mississippi… two Mississippi…"

"Three Mississippi"

Chloe was stepping out by the side of garage, her hair dripping with the rain. Beca blinked, unable to continue the count. The redhead stood just shy of shelter, her tee absorbed the rain as the pair maintain each other's gaze. The silence was broken abruptly by a sound of thunder, startling them both and causing the hot coffee in Beca's hand to spill onto her jeans.

"I didn't know if you'd come" Beca mumbled quietly, causing Chloe to finally step into the garage and out of the rain.

"Always."

It was supposed to be reassuring but Beca couldn't help but feel a twinge of bitterness.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Chloe."

Her words were spoken like they were three nights ago a couple of yards further down the sidewalk. Beca was really hoping for a reconciliation, but once again she was letting her emotions get the better of her. Chloe had a life to lead and dreams to pursue; the forced positivity of the past few months had worn thin a while ago and now all that was left was the selfishness Beca hated herself for feeling.

Chloe was her best friend, someone who had been a constant fixture in her life from the moment she can remember. Beca wasn't sure she had the strength to cope without her best friend for a year. The fear of losing touch and drifting apart that followed was enough to break her.

"Beca, I don't want to fight."

"It's really hard to pretend to be happy for you now…" she trailed off, her fingers tightening around her mug before she continued, "…now graduation is next week."

Chloe let out a sigh, her shoulders visibly slumping before making her way over to Beca on the couch.

"Is that why you never asked what school I chose?"

Beca placed her coffee on the concrete floor by her foot in order to momentarily distract herself.

"Yes and no."

When her best friend didn't say anything, Beca spoke again.

"I thought ignoring it would make things easier and I thought if we didn't talk about it, graduation would just never come around" she sighed out, realising how stupid that sounded now she'd actually said it aloud.

A hand found its way on to her knee; Chloe's familiar touch easing the difficulty she had articulating her feelings and urging to carry on.

"I want you to go because you deserve everything you want in life, Chlo. I'm both happy and proud of you for having the courage to leave everything you've ever known in this town and make it on your own."

With each word Beca was growing surer and confident – this was what she tried to say a few days ago but failed. Her pause gave Chloe a chance to interject but Beca was cutting her off, finally allowing her mind to entertain the thought of her best friend leaving her behind through no fault of her own.

"But selfishly I don't want you to go because I'm scared we'll lose touch and things will never be the way they were again."

Before she could wipe away the stray tear on her left cheek, the pad of Chloe's thumb was gently swiping it away with a sad smile on her face.

"That will never happen, Becs. Never."

Chloe's words were punctuated with the squeeze of her hand and Beca was pulling her into a hug; similar to the "bone crushing" hugs she had experienced from Chloe over the years. It was a tight embrace; one they both needed.

"You're more than just a best friend to me, Beca. We'll never lose touch, I promise."

The redhead's breath ghosted over the shell of her ear and the words resonated deep within because they were what she needed to hear the most right now and of course Chloe always knew exactly what to say to make her feel better. In fact, thinking about it Chloe was the only person that had the ability to rid Beca of any fear or worry; she was the only one Beca would happily drop anything for; Beca would literally do anything for her because she loved her.

It was then Beca was shrugging out of their embrace and gently resting her lips on Chloe's. The redhead was always more than a friend to her too, but she knew kissing her best friend now created even bigger complications than just graduation.

Before her mind could catch up with her, Beca was desperately working her lips over Chloe's, her hands pulling at the wet fabric of her t-shirt. The storm was forgotten, the sound of the rain trickling down the gutter fading out as Beca felt Chloe's hand wrap around her neck and pull her even closer.

The brunette let Chloe's kiss ease the worry in her mind, allowing herself to forget about everything that came along with the fear of Chloe's graduation and just get lost in how right this all felt.

Then Chloe was pulling away slowly, leaving one last chaste kiss before resting their foreheads together with a smile. The butterflies in her stomach and the tingling sensation on her lips almost made Beca's vision blur; a sheer happiness washed over her, fighting off the impending anguish and heartache that was sure to come.

"I think I've waited for that kiss all my life" Chloe whispered, her tone equal parts happy and sad.

Beca sighed, unable to pull away just yet, "I'm very last minute, you should know this by now."

It was her attempt at humour and the smile it elicited from her best friend made Beca feel like everything would work itself out eventually.

"I'm going to UCLA" Chloe searched Beca's eyes, seeking any hint of a reaction. When she didn't, Chloe wet her lips and spoke again.

"We'll make it through the year and then you'll be in LA, with me."

 **XXX**


	41. 41 - Impact

**Prompt: "Chloe is a paramedic and gets a call for a car accident, which turns out to be her girlfriend, Beca. She is badly injured but Chloe manages to save her life."**

 **Impact**

Beca opened her eyes to Chloe beside her. The redhead was invading her side of the bed and resting her head on half of Beca's pillow. It had always been difficult for the brunette to understand, but even in the midst of a deep sleep, Chloe's lips still settled into a soft smile. Beca leaned forward pressing a light kiss to her girlfriend's cheek before tracing the outline of that very smile with her fingertip.

It was moments like these Beca was sure she'd never be able to live without.

"That tickles."

Chloe's voice was thick with sleep and the smile under Beca's touch widened as the other woman opened her eyes, focusing them on Beca's.

"Morning" she whispered, retrieving her hand and wrapping it around Chloe's waist with a smile.

"Creeper" Chloe mumbled into the pillow as she snuggled closer, forcing Beca even further to edge of their bed.

"Well when I wake up and you're practically in my face, what option do I have?" Beca retorted with a smirk.

"Shut up" the redhead silenced her with a kiss and moved a fraction of a centimeter onto her own side of the bed, "There, space."

The brunette laughed, before tugging at Chloe's hipbone and pulling her back to where she was.

"Nope" she breathed into the crook of Chloe's neck with the shake of her head, as fingers moved to tangle in her hair.

The familiar warmth and scent was surrounding Beca's senses and she let out a content sigh. Two years into their relationship, she was sure she'd never tire of their mornings together.

The morning light was glowing through the window; the natural sunlight enveloping their bedroom and shining on Chloe's face. Suddenly her vision was swimming and the once yellow light from a moment ago was replaced with darkness as the image of her and Chloe's bedroom completely disappeared.

The warmth was replaced with a shivering cold and the fingers in Beca's hair seemed to be digging into her skull, causing a sharp pain to ripple through her entire body. There was a deep sense of panic as she was unable to move.

"Beca, can you hear me?"

The voice sounded distant and muffled, but almost familiar.

A white light was covering her vision, as she tried to blink through it, the sensation of something cold and wet dripping down her face.

"Beca, I need you to open your eyes for me, OK?"

She was moving her head now, her hands instinctively coming up to her face in attempt to wipe whatever was on her forehead. Her vision seemed to be returning, albeit a little blurry and unfocussed.

"Chloe?" she mumbled out, trying her very best to identify the person in front of her.

It seemed the more she looked around, the better her vision was. The heaviness pushing down on her legs suddenly became apparent, her eyes catching the glimpse of a steering wheel.

Shattered glass.

A ripped airbag.

And blood in the foot well.

Beca was in a car, the realisation of her current situation causing her heart to race and breaths turn labored.

"Beca, it's me, Chloe. I'm here. You're going to be OK. I'm going to make sure you're OK."

Chloe's voice was calming. The worry and concern laced within those words quickly disregarded – Chloe was here, that's all she needed to feel better.

The darkness was swimming her vision again and her neck slowly dropping forwards.

"Beca, babe, keep focusing on my face, OK? You need to stay…" Chloe's voice trailed off.

The ringing in Beca's ears was far too loud and prominent for her to hear anything else.

 **XXX**

Chloe's knees were leaning on shards of broken glass; the pain nothing compared to the panic racing through her mind. When they had gotten the call for priority three over the radio, the description was vague and brief due to an anonymous caller.

The minute she spotted the familiar woman behind the wheel of the car, Chloe was suddenly springing into action, racing to close the distance to the driver's door.

Beca had been responsive for less than a minute but now her eyes were drooping and her body limp. There was a gash to her head, the blood trickling down her face and onto the once inflated airbag. It was difficult to tell the extent of her injuries but Chloe was letting her emotions cloud her judgement when Beca lost consciousness.

There was a pulling at her shoulders and suddenly Chloe was standing up and being dragged away from the car.

"You can't treat this, Chloe – emotional ties to the patient stop you from doing your job."

The words of her co-worker were hanging in the air as Chloe used all her strength to fight the forceful hands pulling at her shoulders.

"Let go of me, Kate. I'm not leaving Beca in this car!"

Her voice was loud and angry, causing her efforts of returning to her girlfriend to strengthen.

"Just fucking let me go!"

Chloe was lunging back to her original position, her hand immediately reaching for Beca's and squeezing it. She tightly closed her eyes, willing her tears to disappear before she was rummaging through her bag.

"I'm going to check her injuries and we're both going to do our job together."

Chloe wasn't asking, it was a demand and the quick nod of Kate's head ensured Chloe she understood that.

Beca started opening her eyes and lightly squeezing the hand in hers with a groan, followed by a wince.

"I crashed the car" she breathed out quietly, the disorientation apparent in her voice.

"I know but help is here now, Becs. I'm here."

Kate's hand was back on her shoulder, but before the redhead could shrug it off, the woman was beginning to speak.

"How about you just keep her talking whilst I do everything else?" she reasoned with pleading eyes.

Chloe's refusal was on the tip of her tongue but then her mind was wandering to the worst possible scenario – if this was her and Beca's last time together, she'd regret ignoring her emotions.

"OK."

Without even waiting for a response, Kate was climbing into the passenger seat of the car and dragging her bag with her. A neck brace was quickly but gently placed around Beca's neck as she began to wriggle in her seat worriedly.

"Beca, it's OK, that's going to help you feel more supported. Just try and focus on me and my voice, alright?"

Chloe was kneeling even closer to the car, another light squeeze of her hand indicating Beca understood.

"I dreamt we woke up in the morning" Beca stuttered out, keeping her gaze on Chloe as she fought to keep her eyes open and ignore the pain.

"Yeah, well we're going to have plenty more mornings for you to dream up" Chloe smiled, trying to rid the uncertainty in her voice. She chanced a look at Kate, who gave her a sad smile.

"OK, so we're talking three broken ribs, a severe hit to the head with a possible internal bleed."

Chloe was suddenly faced with the extent of the situation and she couldn't stop the tears that were welling in her eyes.

"We can't move her; her legs are trapped under the steering column but I'm calling the fire department now. I've given her morphine for the pain but all we can do is sit tight; you know the drill, Chlo. Just keep her talking and remain positive."

Kate's words were rid of emotions but her eyes a completely different matter. Chloe knew and appreciated her honesty and the clear instructions to keep her calm. The redhead was thankful for that; more than Kate could ever know.

"Is it bad? Am I going to die?"

Beca's words snapped Chloe back to the present and the fear that rang throughout every syllable made her throat close up. She let out a cough in order to clear it before moving even closer to her girlfriend.

"Do you remember out first date?" Chloe choked out with a smile.

Beca let out a hum, a small smile forming on her lips, "Yeah."

"Tell me about it."

Beca coughed a little before she spoke "You got all dressed up in that black dress and all I had planned was the movies."

Chloe laughed at Beca's dopey smile and for a second she forgot where they were.

"I freaked out and made us watch that foreign film because it seemed almost sophisticated enough for your dress."

"You made me sit on your jacket so I wouldn't 'get my dress dirty'" Chloe added with a smile and the shake of her head at the memory.

The flashing lights of the fire truck reflecting off the remainder of the shattered windscreen brought Chloe back to reality and instantly stilled their trip down memory lane. Further realisation of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks and Beca caught the fear in her girlfriend's eyes.

"I don't want to die yet" she rushed out, the tears visible on her cheeks.

The redhead let out a shaky breath and quickly wiped her own tears from her face before unsteady fingers did the same to Beca's.

"Beca, I'm not going to let that happen."

"I don't want to leave you."

"You're not going anywhere."

"I love you, Chlo."

Two men were making their way over to the wreck of the car with heavy machinery in preparation of cutting through the steel and freeing Beca from her seat.

"You can tell me that later."

"I want you to try to be happy if-"

"Beca" Chloe warned, her voice cracking on the 'a.'

And just like that, Beca was closing her eyes again. The tight grip that was once wrapped around Chloe's hand suddenly went limp.

"Beca?"

The lack of response caused Chloe's heartrate to spike. A strong sense of urgency for the fire department to work faster.

"Beca, please" her voice was only a whisper as she quickly lost the very little strength to keep calm she had a second ago.

 **XXX**

Chloe was sat by the coffee machine in the waiting room. Her paper cup was sat on the floor still full to the brim with now cold coffee. She pressed the heel of her hands into her eyes in an attempt to focus on different type of pain for a while.

By the time they had got Beca out of the car, she no longer had a pulse. Kate had rushed to her aid the moment she was carefully placed on a stretcher on the tarmac but it was Chloe who performed the CPR. Her movements were steady and precious as she mentally willed Beca to come back to her.

"I love you, Chlo."

Beca's previous words whirled around her head as she delivered the compressions to her girlfriend's chest.

Chloe wasn't ready to let go.

She didn't want to be alone.

"Chloe Beale?"

A tall man in a doctor's coat was approaching her chair, the sound of his voice causing Chloe's head to snap up.

"Yes, that's me."

She rushed to her feet, desperate to know how her girlfriend was. The expression on his face caused a wave of nausea to wash over her as she tried to prepare herself for the worst. It seemed like hours until the man before her was speaking again.

"Beca is stable."

Her huge sigh of relief seemed to echo up and down the corridor.

"It's not going to be easy but her chances of a full recovery look promising."

Chloe was pulling her high visibility coat around her waist, hoping it would somehow help hold her emotions together.

"Can I see her?" she asked hurriedly.

"It's going to be a few hours before she's fully conscious, Miss Beale but yes, follow me."

"I know with the profession you're in, you're aware that things can change. Beca is still very much touch and go but everything seems to be pointing in the right direction" he assured as Chloe followed his path down the hall hot on his heels.

She could only nod in response.

When she caught a glimpse of Beca lying unconscious in a bed in one of the rooms to her left, Chloe was sprinting inside and wasting no time grabbing Beca's hand. The tears were starting again but this time she let them fall freely, knowing she didn't have to be strong for Beca right now.

"I'll leave you to it."

Chloe had forgotten he was still there as she turned her head to his presence at the doorway.

"Thank you, Doctor, thank you so much."

 **XXX**

 **A/N 1:** **So I'm not going to lie, but this was a bitch to write. I started out with the whole cinematic open and then completely lost the ability to write a sentence that didn't sound like a nine-year-old came up with.**

 **So apologies if it didn't meet your requirements/expectations guest reviewer but, sorry, no do over's ;)**

 **A/N 2:** **Also quick mention about the drowning prompt from a few weeks back; what's done is done? I understand if what I wrote wasn't what you were expecting but I'm not going to start rewriting prompts because you didn't enjoy it, you know? I'm super thankful and appreciative everyone takes the time to read what I write (Seriously, thank you) and the fact that people actually want me to write something they have thought up is amazing but I don't really want to make a habit of rewriting them because that seems like a really slippery slope, aha.**

 **So, sorry :(**


	42. 42 - You Look so Beautiful

**DISCLAIMER:** **I DO NOT OWN PITCH PERFECT OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS. ALL WORDS AND MISTAKES ARE THAT OF MY OWN.**

" **You Look So Beautiful."**

" _You look so beautiful."_

That was all it took for Chloe to surge forward and kiss Beca's lips – well that and the moment.

Beca was amidst everything Chloe; her lips, her breath, her perfume, the fingertips currently resting on her hip; the party quickly becoming a distant memory.

 **XXX**

 _Beca had arrived late, obviously._

 _She had changed her outfit seven times, endured three melt downs regarding her eye liner and contemplated not turning up at all more times than she'd care to admit, but to the rest of the Bellas, Beca was just fashionably late._

 _Three years after graduating Barden, the Bella's were reuniting for Fat Amy's Birthday. Although it hadn't been too long since their last get together, Beca had still been looking forward to it. However, the more the date neared forward she beginning to have doubts; doubts that Chloe would cancel last minute and all the excitement Beca had been harbouring for the past month and a half would be quickly snatched away from her._

 _But Chloe never cancelled._

… _And that made Beca even more nervous._

 _Beca realised she was in love with her best friend two and a half years into college. If she was being honest, she probably knew before that but she had spent a lot of time and energy dismissing her true feelings and inner thoughts on the matter._

" _I'll tell her tomorrow" turned into "I'll tell her after Worlds" quickly developed into "After graduation; that makes more sense" until eventually Beca just lost her nerve and never said anything. It was these little reunions that sent her mind into overdrive a few weeks prior._

" _I'll tell her tonight. I'll definitely tell her tonight."_

 _Beca chanted those words throughout every Bella Birthday party and before the occasional coffee date when Chloe was in town._

 _But tonight, she had promised herself the time was now. In fact, if Beca didn't just outright say the words that had been swirling in her mind for best part of three years she felt she might internally combust._

" _Beca!"_

 _Before the DJ could even rest her eyes on Chloe's she was being enveloped into a tight and timely hug and all of sudden Beca was instantly losing her nerve again. Chloe's familiar touch and warmth completely snatching away the very little confidence she mustered up at the doorway less than sixty seconds ago._

 _ **I could tell her at Stacie's Birthday in a couple of months, couldn't I?**_

 **XXX**

There was something different about Beca Mitchell half way through the party. She seemed less self-conscious and almost freer – like the way she was in college – and Chloe couldn't help but get lost in it.

Chloe was sinking further into the past familiarity of college life and even deeper into those feelings Beca always stirred inside her. Flashbacks of late night cuddles and exchanged whispers of their inner feelings and thoughts occurred whenever Beca brushed her arm or navy blue eyes lingered on hers for a second too long.

It resurrected those voices in Chloe's head.

"Does she feel the same?"

Chloe had asked herself that question countless times in the past and now she found herself asking more and more throughout the evening. There were so many occasions Chloe almost caved and asked Beca that very question in college, but she feared their friendship would suffer because of it.

So Chloe never did.

" _You look so beautiful."_

When Beca uttered those words, Chloe couldn't control her emotions anymore.

She no longer cared of the consequences; her curiosity and desire overpowering her rationality.

Beca's lips felt as soft as she thought they would and they moved over hers with more skill than Chloe could have ever imagined. The sparks flying between them caused Chloe to literally see stars – alright, maybe that was the alcohol – but Chloe had never been more sure that Beca Mitchell felt the same feelings Chloe had battled with for the last five years.

A tongue was swiping along her bottom lip and Chloe wasted no time parting them; the sparks developing into a clichéd fourth of July firework display on the back of her eye lids. She couldn't help but pull Beca impossibly closer.

 **XXX**

 _Chloe had spent a lot of time arranging her outfit, the outfit she was constantly smoothing the creases out of whenever she sat or stood. It was a nervous twitch Chloe didn't care much for but the last time her and Beca spoke she hadn't been able to get it out of her mind._

 _It was in a coffee shop a few blocks away from the recording studio Beca worked at when Chloe had accidentally tripped over her own words. What started with their usual back and forth banter and flirty comments quickly turned into a dangerously close shave with Chloe's emotions._

" _You forget I know just what to say to get you all flustered, Becs" Chloe teased over her latte._

" _Isn't that the truth."_

 _Beca dragged out the words with a smirk and an eye roll – that signature smirk that did_ **things** __ _to her._

" _You don't know even half of the truth."_

 _Her response was met with a silence and an ungodly sense of panic in Chloe's gut. She quickly laughed it off with a wink and jumped into the first innuendo she could think of, hoping it would distract Beca from pondering the underlining meaning of her previous words._

 _Perhaps Chloe was being paranoid but Beca's demeanour the minute she walked through the door of the party made her nervous. It wasn't until a few hours and more drinks later Chloe finally allowed herself to relax, getting caught up Beca's usual humour and charm that effortlessly put her at ease._

" _I think I'm going to get some air."_

" _Mind if I come with?"_

 _Before Chloe knew it they were outside, the cool summer air tickled her skin as the music of the party faded into the background. Beca was taking a seat on the curb and pulling a cigarette from it's packet with her teeth._

" _I thought you quit?" Chloe asked with the nudge of her shoulder as she dropped down bedside her._

" _Yeah and then I got stressed about tonight" Beca deadpanned, offering her a small smile before lighting the offending item with a deep inhale._

" _Why were you stressed?"_

 _Chloe's mind was instantly returning to the pit of regret regarding their last meeting, before there was a hand on her knee; all her previous thoughts falling away and then Beca was offering her a drag. She hastily waved it away, her eyes urging Beca to answer the question._

" _I love how you don't let this corrupt you" she smirked._

 _It was an attempt to deflect and distract Chloe from the question she had just asked. It was the oldest trick in the book, but she didn't want to push tonight._

 _She shook her head good naturedly with a smile for a reply._

 _But then Beca was tuning to face her square on with a glimmer of something in her eye. The brunette brought the cigarette to her lips – no longer making a conscious effort to blow the smoke in the opposite direction of Chloe - and taking her face in her hands._

 _The movement was so unexpected and uncharacteristic that Chloe froze, unsure of what to do. Beca was leaning closer and if it wasn't for the cigarette pressed between her lips, Chloe would have assumed Beca was about to kiss her._

 _Beca inhaled a long drag, before removing it from her mouth and flicking it away. A thumb softly ran itself over Chloe's bottom lip causing her breath to hitch. The DJ leaned even closer, blowing the smoke in between her newly parted lips causing Beca's to slightly brush over her own._

 _Chloe slowly inhaled the second hand smoke, her eyes fixed on the ones intently staring into her's, as her hand instinctively wrapped around Beca's wrist._

" _Exhale."_

 _Beca's voice was lower than a whisper. There was the trace of a smile and the glimmer of that something still in her eyes when Chloe blew the smoke into the summer air. It felt like she was in a trance, unable to speak or pull away from Beca's touch._

 _Not she wanted to – pull away that was._

 _Speak, maybe. The routine words, "Do you feel the same?" might have been on the tip of her tongue if she wasn't so lost in Beca's gaze._

" _You look so beautiful."_

 **XXX**

Beca wasn't sure what came over her, but one minute she was suggestively blowing smoke in Chloe's mouth (which was weird, unhealthy and possibly gross – god, why did she even do that?!) and then she was telling Chloe she was beautiful in her next breath.

It seemed to happen in slow motion; the way Chloe's eyes flickered with something similar to desire and how she lunged forward attaching her lips to Beca's. In all honesty, Beca was contemplating pinching herself because surely this wasn't real.

But the knees gently knocking against hers told her it was.

The tongue that was exploring her mouth should have grounded Beca but it seemed to do the exact opposite. Beca was finding one of Chloe's hands on her waist, interlocking their fingers together in an attempt to get a grip on the moment between them. She felt the lips on hers twitch into a smile causing her to do the same.

Tonight she hadn't quite confessed what she set out to do, but surely kissing the woman she had been in love with for what felt like forever was more than progress, right?

Beca decided an explanation would suffice later because right now she was trying to communicate all of those words with her kiss but then Chloe was pulling away what felt like midsentence.

"What are we doing?" the redhead asked with the shake of her head and a giddy laugh.

The hand in Beca's was bringing back the flutter of butterflies she used to feel whenever Chloe laced their fingers together on campus and it caused her to smile even more.

"Making up for lost time?" Beca offered shyly.

"We're drunk" Chloe reminded coyly.

Beca smirked, "Speak for yourself."

Chloe was rolling her eyes and pulling her hand from Beca's. There was a sudden coldness from the separation, so she decided to trace circles in the brunette's opened palm resting on her knee instead.

"I'm sorry I, like, blew smoke in…" Beca trailed off, trying to suppress the blush threatening to colour her cheeks, "…I've wanted to tell you something since our last year of college."

Chloe was nodding whilst chewing on her bottom lip, "OK."

"I've been acting weird since we graduated and I know you've noticed, but the truth is, well the reason actually… I've been trying to tell you every time we've met up and I just-"

"Beca, get to the point."

Chloe was sitting on the edge of the sidewalk in anticipation wishing now was the moment she finally got an answer to her internal question. There was a smile on her lips as her back and forth strokes on Beca's palm became more frantic and impatient.

"I've been in l-"

"BECHLOE! Get your asses in here stat, we're singing Happy Birthday!"

Stacie was drunkenly leaning on the back door, visibly swaying on her feet and completely unaware of the moment she had just interrupted. Chloe and Beca's heads immediately shot around to their fellow Bella wearing a dopey grin and waving her hands in a frenzy; as if that movement would suddenly snap them into motion.

Chloe brought her eyes back to Beca, a feeling of hopefulness taking hold as she noted the annoyance in them. Beca shook her head with an almost sad smile and pulled Chloe to her feet; the movement calming Stacie's hollers.

 _I'll tell her after. Definitely after._

 **XXX**


	43. 43 - Quack

**Like, I think this is a prompt: "Aubrey's reaction to their relationship pls! It's gonna be interesting hahaha"**

 **Quack**

Ever since Chloe had grazed her lips against Beca's palm a month ago, the restraint they had both exercised in the past suddenly became a distant memory. Due to the late hour and harsh winter the campus was empty of people and Beca was thankful of that when she lost her footing and tumbled onto the cold blanket of snow with a thud.

Chloe had quickly dropped by her side, immediately pulling her to her feet with a concerned look on her face, "Oh my god. Beca, are you OK?"

"I think the only thing bruised is my ego" she mumbled out, bringing her hand out of Chloe's and brushing off the snow on her jeans with a wonky smile; the action causing Chloe to shake her head with a smile of her own. Beca couldn't help but quickly lift her left hand up with a wince as she inspected the graze on her palm.

"Let me see."

Before Beca could protest, her hand was being pulled by Chloe's as she studied the slight cut with deep concentration.

"Chloe, it's fine – just a graze" Beca assured with a smile, flexing her hand out in order to prove her statement.

"Shall I kiss it better?"

There was a playfulness to Chloe's tone and a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. Beca knew it was a joke but she couldn't seem to rid the nervousness currently accumulating in her stomach. Her throat was feeling dry and despite the cold, her face and neck felt like they were on fire.

The look in the redhead's eyes was gone as quickly as it appeared and without any warning, Chloe was pulling at her fingers and gently placing a soft kiss onto the reddened area of Beca's hand. If there was ever a moment that defined the beginning of their relationship, it was most definitely that one.

" _The duck flies at midnight."_

Code words were never Beca's strong suit and it seemed they weren't Chloe's either, but that sentence made every hair on Beca's body stand on end. Sometimes it was whispered just after Bella practise or written in a text message as Beca closed her bedroom door for the night but no matter how or when it was phrased, without any hesitation the DJ would find herself mentally counting down from five and making her way to Chloe's bedroom.

But it seemed today - mid-afternoon in an empty Bella house - that sentence was mistimed. Beca had never seen Aubrey Posen speechless before; her facial expression was twisted, her high pitched screech seemed to echo off the walls and her jaw appeared to rest on the hardwood flooring of Chloe's bedroom in shock, disgust, or both.

Chloe had reached for the sheet crumpled in a pile on the floor in a quick and unsophisticated manner as she threw it over them both intertwined on the bed. Beca was pulling the fabric up to her chin, wearing a look almost as horrified as Aubrey's, who was still standing frozen in the doorway. She buried her head into Chloe's bare shoulder, wishing the world would just quickly swallow her up.

"Bree, why the hell didn't you knock?!" Chloe yelled out, the trace of a smile on her face.

Before the blonde replied, she slammed the door shut in a hurried fashion and sunk down the wall with the shake of her head.

"I didn't know you were…" Aubrey's voice muffled through the door and trailed off.

Beca let out a loud groan, lifting her head and hugging the pillow to her chest.

"Fuck."

Chloe turned to the very naked Beca by her side with a guilty smile on her face.

"Now is no longer the time, Becs" she teased, the guilt suddenly replaced with amusement.

"You're not even funny" the brunette deadpanned, her words falling into the pillow she was now pressing down on her face.

"I'll wait downstairs."

Aubrey's words caused Beca to physically jump which only made Chloe laugh louder.

"The duck is out of the bag?" Chloe offered with a grin and the shrug of her shoulders.

Beca just groaned out louder, the embarrassment more than evident on her cheeks. Chloe was getting to her feet and throwing Beca's oversized tee over her head before giving the woman in her bed a pointed stare.

"We can't exactly stay in bed now, can we?"

Beca sat up looking sheepish, "Why don't you go and explain whilst I stay here and die of embarrassment?"

Chloe's hands rested on her hips, "Oh no."

Before the brunette could respond, Chloe was speaking again, her index finger now wagging in her direction, "No way!"

"Sorry if I'm not jumping at the opportunity to sit down with your best friend after she's just seen my junk, Chlo!'

The redhead let out a sigh before crawling onto the bed, "Beca, isn't it about time we stop sneaking around?"

If Beca hadn't already caught on to the vulnerability in Chloe's voice, the way she made herself seem smaller on the mattress - legs up to her chest and a worrisome look on her face – was more than a dead giveaway. The action was so un _Chloe_ like, that the DJ felt a pang of guilt in her chest.

It was never supposed to be a secret. A secret would imply their relationship was shameful and Beca was one hundred percent sure she couldn't be any prouder announcing Chloe Beale was her girlfriend. At first they both decided to "feel things out" before informing the Bella's and the rest of their friends of the new developments between them, but keeping it a secret made things interesting.

It felt almost like an unforbidden love - which was clichéd and obscene – but the secrecy of it made their kisses even more passionate and their touches more daring. Whether it was a stolen kiss during movie night or a less than innocent touch under the dinner table; it all seemed to add a different aspect of excitement to their new beginning.

Beca cleared her throat, "You know you're not one of those so called dirty secrets, right?"

When she didn't get an answer, Beca's released the tight grip she had around the pillow and reached to settle her hands on the back of Chloe's legs before pulling her closer with a smile.

"Sneaking around was fun, but you were never a secret."

Her words were spoken matter-of-factly and she hoped every syllable rang out the strong conviction and belief she had in them. Chloe was shuffling even closer now, letting her legs rest on the outside of Beca's hips. Their noses were almost touching and the brunette couldn't help but move a stray curl of hair from the other woman's face.

"I know" Chloe whispered out with a soft smile on her face, her eyes never leaving Beca's.

Beca pecked her lips, before focussing on the hem of Chloe's t-shirt, her fingers moving to softly tug at it.

"I love you, Chloe."

It was the first time the word love had ever been uttered between them in a non-platonic way.

It was always there in the form of a look or a long sigh but neither of them had actually given it a voice. Beca was feeling nervous and anxious all at once; admitting her love was a big step and based on past experiences was always the very moment her self-sabotage made an appearance.

Beca didn't want to ruin what she had with Chloe.

No, she couldn't allow that to happen; Chloe meant too much to her.

She hesitantly let her eyes move back to the bright blue ones she loved so much and all the previous fear quickly faded away as she saw the painted smile on Chloe's face.

"I love you too."

As if to punctuate her words, Chloe was closing the small fraction of distance between them and capturing Beca's lips in a kiss. It tasted like a promise and Beca never wanted to stop, but she had to for, like, oxygen.

When they parted, Chloe flashed her a dazed smile and pulled Beca up from the bed.

"So, I'll put some clothes on and then I can shout how you're my girlfriend from the rooftops – I'm sure Aubrey will hear" she smirked.

"Wait, you are my girlfriend, right?" she added quietly, suddenly needing confirmation.

Hands were resting on her shoulders and Chloe's smile was back to the playful and amused one the minute Aubrey had shut the bedroom door.

"Beca, considering what Bree just saw us doing, I'm pretty sure I'm your girlfriend."

Chloe's lower voice and the seductive wink made her wish Aubrey wasn't waiting on their explanation downstairs but then she was remembering just that; the familiar waves of embarrassment reoccurring.

"Right, Aubrey saw us naked, I almost forget…" she deadpanned, making her way to Chloe's closet and stepping into a pair of pyjama shorts, grimacing at the thought.

 **XXX**

"What the hell?"

Any awkwardness or chagrin from before was completely drained from Aubrey's tone and demeanour as Chloe and Beca rounded the corner of the hallway hand in hand and into the kitchen.

"How about I make some tea?" Chloe offered with an overly upbeat tone.

"I'm sure Aubrey would love some tea" Beca teased with a forced smile, as she slid into the kitchen bench across from the bemused blonde. She shamefully let her eyes roam Chloe's bare thighs as the redhead made her way to one of the kitchen cupboards.

 _Perhaps she should have actually put some shorts on?_

Beca's thought was quickly interrupted by the loud scoff across from her.

"Tea is not what we need right now."

Aubrey was turning away from Chloe and back to Beca, rolling her eyes as she caught on to Beca's line of sight.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on?" she irked out with an exasperated sigh.

"Chloe is my girlfriend" Beca beamed, her gaze landing on said girlfriend currently grinning like a cat that got the cream.

"No, no she's not."

The blonde's words were completely shattering the moment and Beca was scrunching her face up as she dragged her eyes back to Aubrey's. It was evident from the moment they met, Beca and Aubrey were never going to get along.

Where Aubrey was organised, Beca was random and unmindful. Aubrey's persistent need for control was the complete opposite of Beca's nonchalance and mellowness. No matter how hard the DJ tried (alright, maybe it wasn't that hard…) she couldn't seem to get the uptight blonde to like her, never mind even tolerate her.

Helping the Bella's win Nationals in Aubrey's last year of Barden caused her to soften a little, but that didn't mean they had grown to like each other. Becoming Chloe's best friend over the years had bettered her chances but Beca is more than sure Aubrey still had it out for her.

And maybe finding out Beca was dating said best friend wasn't the greatest news to grace Aubrey's ears.

"Chloe, this is a joke, right?"

The redhead made her way over to the table, settling two mugs down in front of its occupants before returning to kitchen island and fetching her own.

"I think you have all the proof you need to know this isn't a joke" she winked, nudging Beca further down the bench, taking a seat and letting her hand rest on her thigh. Aubrey gagged at both Chloe's comment and the ridiculously clichéd movement.

"This is a faze or a friends with benefits kind of deal, isn't it?" Aubrey dragged out, her hands waving frantically above her shoulders, "Or just innocent college experimenting, you know like that girl who was in your psych class in first year?" she added desperately.

Beca was quirking an eyebrow, her hand resting on top of Chloe's as she turned to face her, "Wait, who's the girl in psych-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Aubrey was interrupting.

"Chloe, what the hell?!"

The blonde let her hands fall to the table with a thud as she looked at her best friend expectantly and impatiently awaited a reply.

"Beca and I are dating" Chloe announced proudly, bringing the mug of tea to her lips with a grin and a shrug.

The same wide and stupid grin was painted on Beca's lips too, as she squeezed Chloe's fingers with one hand and brought the other down on the table, "Damn right we are!" Beca added looking smitten.

The look on Aubrey's face seemed equally puzzled and annoyed.

"You?" she pointed at the DJ who was now self-consciously pulling at her sleeve and fixing her eyes on the mug in front of her, "The alt hobbit with ear monstrosities? The pretentious DJ who doesn't care about anyone but herself? Beca-I-don't-give-a-Fuck-About-Anyone-Mitchell?"

"I care about Chloe" Beca retorted quickly as she straightened up in her seat. "I love her, a lot, actually" she added, holding Aubrey's gaze. Chloe's hand gently squeezed Beca's knee and a quick kiss was pressed to her cheek, causing the brunette to relax.

Aubrey's confusion was replaced by a smile and then followed by hysterical laughter.

"Aubrey, don't do that."

Chloe's voice wasn't yelled or raised but instead stern and laced with warning, silencing the laugh currently spilling from her best friend's lips.

"I don't mind if you're angry or upset that I didn't tell you sooner, but don't laugh at Beca or our relationship, ever."

As if now aware of the seriousness in Chloe's voice, Aubrey was sitting up straighter and running a hand through her hair before taking a sip of her tea. There was a silence around the table and Beca was feeling an anger stirring up inside of her.

She was well aware she wasn't the previous Bella captain's favourite person, but what gave her the right to laugh at her and Chloe's relationship. Almost like reading her thoughts, Chloe was lacing their fingers together on top of the table and flashing Beca a reassuring smile.

"So this isn't a joke?" Aubrey asked hesitantly, pointing at their newly joined hands.

"Nope, no joke" they both spoke in unison.

"But why Beca?" the older woman was turning in her seat and putting her back to the person in question in an attempt to talk to Chloe more privately.

"Because why not? She's sweet and caring and thoughtful. She listens to me and makes me feel special. She's cute, no adorable in fact…" the redhead shot a side glance at Beca's eye roll with a smile before continuing, "…And I love her."

Aubrey was nodding her head thoughtfully for a second before speaking, "OK."

"OK?" Beca questioned cautiously.

"OK."

"OK" Chloe repeated with a smile, before moving her and Aubrey's empty cups to the kitchen sink.

"Break her heart and I'll hunt you down and kill you" Aubrey said through gritted teeth hunched over the table with a pointed stare and a sickly sweet smile on her face.

"I would never" Beca replied honestly, offering her hand over the table in order to shake on it.

It was quickly batted away with a horrified expression, "Beca, I saw where that hand was twenty minutes ago."

"Dude!" Beca was dropping her head to the table in both embarrassment and horror.

 **XXX**

 **A/N – So, yeah, maybe this wasn't very funny, even if I did really stick with the duck theme (It doesn't even make sense, does it?!) … Um, Sorry :/**


	44. 44 - A Date

**Prompt: "Beca and Chloe are fellow doctors, along with other Bellas. Somehow one day Beca gets an asthma attacks and faints."**

 **A/N 1 –** **So I kind of decided to split this prompt into two, if that's OK? This is strictly "Beca and Chloe are fellow doctors, along with other Bellas" and the asthma attack will be posted soon but in a different setting. I really liked the idea of a hospital environment and the second half of the prompt made things extremely long and complicated.**

 **So sorry if I just shit on your dreams and stuff…**

 **A Date**

"Long day?" Chloe asked, as Beca dropped her tray onto the table and landed in the chair beside her.

Beca glared, before the corners of her mouth twitched into a smile.

"I've been here for ten hours" she sighed into the hands on her face.

Chloe placed a commiserating tap on her shoulder before returning her attention back to the food on her plate. As if comforted by that single action, Beca sat up straight and made a start on the mashed potato on her plate.

"So, how are you, stranger?"

Chloe laughed with the shake of her head. She had been called that a lot today, "Just because I had a few days off doesn't really warrant me a stranger, you know?"

The brunette doctor beside her feigned shock with the clutch of her chest, "Wow, that vacation changed you."

Ever since Chloe started working as a paediatric nurse at the hospital she and Beca had eaten together almost religiously every shift. It was a half hour out of their hectic schedules where the business and sometimes sadness of the patients that walked in and out of the hospital entrance were momentarily forgotten.

"Maybe you should do the same, Becs. Don't take this the wrong way but you look awful" the redhead joked with a smirk, earning her a light swat on the arm.

"You know if you keep insulting me, I'm going to have to put a stop to these lunch dates"

"Dates?" the older woman challenged with the raise of an eyebrow.

Beca stiffened in her seat, the forkful of food stopping just shy of her mouth, "I mean not dates. If I was going to take you on a date, I'd hope it would be a little bit more glamorous than the hospital canteen" she gestured to the room with her finger.

"Is that so" Chloe dragged out, "Are you asking me out, Doctor Mitchell?"

As if on cue Beca's pager began to sound, reminding both of them hospital life was still occurring on the opposite side of the food hall doors. The brunette cleared the table, placing her discarded napkins onto the tray before standing up and flashing Chloe a smirk.

"If I asked you out, you wouldn't have to question it, Chlo" she winked before walking off and leaving Chloe alone at the table again but with a wide grin on her face.

They had been exchanging flirtier comments these last few weeks. The usual back-and-forth was getting even more daring and bolder and Chloe was loving every second of it. She had known Beca for around five months now and her crush was growing by the day.

"You know, you two could at least try and be less obvious."

Stacie's voice pulled Chloe from her thoughts, as the other woman took a seat in front of her with a grin.

"Tell Beca that" she retorted with the shrug of her shoulders and a guilty smile.

"Something tells me she wouldn't get what I was trying to say" Stacie replied, helping herself to one of the fries from her friend's plate.

Chloe pushed her tray further into the centre of the table with a sigh, "Isn't that true" she sighed out, leaning back in her chair.

 **XXX**

Beca was pulling off her surgeon gown and washing her hands. It seemed the once simple procedure she was briefed on beforehand turned serious far too quickly - today had been long and stressful. She rinsed the soap off her hands under the water, her mind wandering to the time. A quick glance of the clock told her she should have actually finished her shift an hour ago, so in the hopes of avoiding her pager, Beca quickly made her way out of the operating theatre and down the corridor to the staff room.

Beca loved her job; what was supposed to be a short stint at college developed into a daunting four years of medical school. Her pursue of medicine was a surprise for everyone - she'd had her heart set on being a music producer from the age of eleven - but things change. Beca was in her last leg of residency at the hospital and one step closer to becoming an independent surgeon - she's sure saving people's lives day in and day out was so much more rewarding than making music ever could be.

"We're going for a drink, you coming?" Aubrey asked as she folded the scrubs into her locker next to Beca's.

"Yeah, why not" she replied, turning the dial on the metal door with a nod.

When Beca first met Aubrey in her first year at the hospital, she thought the blonde was a pain in the ass; always the first to answer a question and smile smugly when she always answered correctly.

Since they got to know each other and bonded over their commitment to their then new careers, both woman had grown close.

"Are you going to ask your favourite nurse to come along?" Aubrey asked with the bump of her shoulder.

It was no secret Beca and Chloe had hit it off a few months back in the canteen over their lunch break. Aubrey had been the first to tease her about it and it quickly developed into an ongoing joke in aid of winding Beca up.

She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes, "I've told you, we're just friends."

"Yeah and I flirt with all my friends too" Aubrey quipped, slamming her locker closed and taking a seat on the wooden bench behind them.

"We don't…" she deadpanned. "…besides, she's working the night shift tonight anyway" Beca added, taking a seat beside her now laughing friend.

"See, you even know her schedule."

Beca continued tying her shoes laces without even giving Aubrey the satisfaction of a reaction. Chloe was kind, smart and actually, really hot but Beca was certain what they had was strictly a friendship. It didn't matter if their meet ups on their breaks were the highlight of her day or if the way Chloe winked at her after a particularly flirting comment made Beca's mind blur; she couldn't allow herself to think it would ever develop into anything more.

Beca didn't date anyone at the hospital – it was a lesson she learnt the hard way a year ago. Dating in her line of work was messy to begin with; the long and irregular hours, the stress and emotions that came along with it; it was a difficult job to switch off from. Although dating someone who understood the complexity of it seemed like a good idea, Beca's relationship with a trauma doctor quickly turned into a car crash relationship from start to finish. It was then Beca vowed not to date anyone at work, ever.

"I still can't believe you've never even seen each other outside of work" Aubrey thought aloud.

"Because that's all she is, Bree. Strictly a friend at work."

The blonde woman shook her head, "God, you're so dense sometimes, you know that?"

"So you keep telling me. C'mon, let's go, I'm thirsty" she smiled, making her way to the door.

 **XXX**

Beca was slumped over her coffee absentmindedly flicking through social media on her phone. Although she didn't drink that much, the early morning after a later night than planned was weighing heavy around her eyes.

The phone chimed in her hands, a message from Aubrey suddenly popping up on the screen. Not everybody had the luxury of a day off today, but it seemed even hungover and rid of her responsibility at the hospital, the blonde was still awake at seven fifteen in the morning.

 **AUBREY [7:13AM]: Hope work isn't too hard on you this morning. Sorry I made you drive me around! I had way more than too many tequilas…**

Beca's lips curled into a smile, as visions of a very drunk Aubrey demanding another round of shots flashed through her mind. Her thumb began tapping out a reply when a person sitting in the chair beside her distracted her.

"Late night?"

Chloe was still wearing her scrubs, indicating she had just finished her night shift. Beca offered her a small smile as she took in the other woman's face. Despite working a twelve-hour shift, Chloe was still sporting her usual beaming smile. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun and her eyes had the same sparkle they always had; the kind Beca always seemed to get lost in.

"I was on designated driver duty last night and Bree insisted we visit every bar in the state."

Judging by the laugh and eye roll, Chloe was more than aware of Beca's over exaggeration.

"How will you possibly get through the day without my presence?" the redhead teased, leaning forward and taking a sip from Beca's drink with a smirk.

"Well at least I won't have to worry about you stealing my coffee" she counted, claiming back her cup and draining it off its liquid.

"What time do you finish?" Chloe asked invading Beca's space once more and moving a stray strand of hair from her face without even batting an eyelid.

It was always a mystery to Beca; how Chloe could easily breach her personal space so effortlessly. The fact that she didn't even mind it baffled the brunette even more.

"Two; thankfully it's only a half day today" she replied, trying not to mirror Chloe's smile and failing miserably.

"Great, because I'm cooking you dinner" she shrugged nonchalantly, like informing Beca she was cooking for her wasn't one tiny bit out of the ordinary

She knitted her eyebrows together in puzzlement, waiting for Chloe to continue. When she didn't Beca was pushing her chair out and turning to face her.

"Dinner?" she asked, the confusion evident in her voice.

Chloe was smiling before nodding enthusiastically, "Yep, it's already been decided."

Beca was folding her arms over her chest as the cogs turned inside her head. There was a smile pulling at her lips, as she tried her best to prevent the laugh that was threatening to spill free. Chloe couldn't just be asking her to dinner, _alone_ because that would be almost date-like and they were just friends. Of course it must be some sort of dinner party or something, right?

As soon as the question bounced around her brain, Beca was feeling a strange sense of disappointment. Having Chloe cook dinner for her and just her actually sounded really nice; too nice in fact.

"Is there some sort of nurse dinner party I don't know about?" she asked with a forced smirk.

"Nope, no nurses…" Chloe was shaking her head, the smile from before slowly turning into the signature mega-watt grin Beca was sure made her heart beat one hundred beats per second – which was impossible; she was an (almost) Doctor, so Beca ought to know.

"…No party…" Chloe's voice was bringing her out of her thoughts, "…Just me and you, Mitchell" she finished, lightly bumping Beca's shoulder with her own.

The confirmation should have thrown Beca for a loop, but instead she was smiling, an actual full and beaming grin taking over her face.

"Just me and you?"

"Yeah."

"Is this because we're missing our lunch together because that's almost stalker behaviour, Chlo" she joked.

"Maybe or maybe after you mentioned 'a date' yesterday, I've decided to do something about it" the other woman deadpanned, feigning disinterest.

Well this was definitely an unexpected development.

Beca should be racking her mind for excuses right now and sticking to her 'no dating at work' rule, but instead she's letting herself entertain the thought of it all.

"I'll text you my address later. We'll say seven?"

Her head was involuntary nodding and before she could stop herself, Beca was uttering the most honest "Yeah, sounds good" she had ever spoken.

Just like that, Chloe was leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her cheek before standing up and shouting a quick "See you tonight" over her shoulder with a wide grin.

"A date?"

Beca mumbled the words quietly to no one in particular as she turned her attention back to her phone. The thought of finishing work and having Chloe cook dinner for her was a welcomed one and it actually caused her to let out a giddy laugh. It all sounded so domestic and subdued that Beca was catching herself seriously looking forward to it.

Yeah, a date. She was totally more than OK with this.

 **XXX**

 **A/N 2 –** **As for the guest reviewer who stated I was "ignoring" prompts, cool story, bro :) :).**

 **I'm having a bit of an existential crisis (I'm just being dramatic) with my writing at the moment. So although I have a list of prompts to work through, they are taking a bit longer for me to finish – your patience would be greatly appreciated! And thanks again for reading :)**


	45. 45 - Just Breathe

**Prompt: "Somehow one day Beca gets an asthma attack and faints."**

 **A/N 1** **– So I have exercise induced asthma – which I'm sure is just asthma for lazy people – and I kind of know that when you actually faint during an attack, shit gets serious really quickly and I didn't really want to write about hospitals in this story again, so I tweaked it, just a little…**

 **Just Breathe**

Chloe remembers the moment Aubrey had asked her that question just shy of the blonde's graduation. It was something she was sure she could never forget; there was something serious about her tone and almost a pleading in her eyes when she pulled her away from the crowded party, "What do you see in Beca Mitchell that I don't?""

It was a hard hitting question that Aubrey made no attempt to build up to; she just came outright with it, looking baffled. Chloe had laughed, her smile stretching from ear to ear as she thought of some of the reasons she and Beca were perfect together.

But considering their environment and the amount of alcohol her best friend had drank leading up to her asking, Chloe just shrugged with an even bigger grin, "There simply wouldn't be enough time for me to tell you, Bree."

God wasn't that the truth - Chloe loved everything; every perfection and every fault was what made Beca Mitchell so, well, _Beca._

But then it got her thinking and she was sure her girlfriend all but noticed the glee in her face and the not so subtle side glances for the rest of the night and a few days after. It was no secret Chloe had spent all of that year slowly chipping away at Beca's elusive exterior but she never gave in. No matter how many times the younger woman pushed her away both physically and emotionally; Chloe was hooked and she never stopped until she was allowed to see every aspect of her.

It was more than just worth the wait.

Chloe loved confident Beca; the woman who would make bold flirtatious comments and pull Chloe into a heated kiss in a busy crowd; or the way she would elegantly drag her fingers over the keys of her laptop with a proud smile as she worked on a mix.

She thought nervous Beca was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen. Chloe will never forget the way she stuttered through her love confession in the corner of the auditorium after practise or how she'd fought with the back of Chloe's bra for a sold three minutes the first time they slept together. The redhead had eventually directed Beca's hands to her chest with a soft "it opens at the front, Becs" and a blush quickly followed.

Sleepy Beca was one of her favourites - who was she kidding; they all were. When in the haze of sleep in a morning she would sink into the crook of Chloe's shoulder and pepper her neck with soft delicate kisses and it made the redhead feel like she was walking on cloud nine for the rest of the day. It was also the time Beca turned into an almost clingy child and would outstretch her arms for Chloe's touch with a cute pout on her face until Chloe snuggled closer – Yeah, it was adorable.

It seemed Beca could effortlessly communicate how she felt or what she wanted to say simply with a look or a touch and vice versa – that was a testament to the strong bond of their friendship and relationship.

But the look in Beca's eyes right now was one she couldn't read as clearly as usual.

Aubrey had arrived back at Barden to visit for a few days and offered to help lead a cardio class for the Bellas. After much convincing, Beca and Fat Amy reluctantly agreed (the most difficult ones to persuade) and dragged their feet around the bleachers defeated as Aubrey's barks of 'encouragement' – she wasn't sure she would call it that – echoed off the walls and around the auditorium.

Chloe's eyes would naturally find Beca's in a crowd, so it was no surprise they had been stealing glances at each other throughout the practise. Usually the younger woman would mouth insults aimed at Aubrey to her from across the room as she tried to stifle a laugh, or roll her eyes when Aubrey insisted they run faster.

This look wasn't like the others; it seemed almost worried, no, panicked in fact. Chloe stopped running, ignoring Aubrey's shouts as she watched Beca stop, remaining stationary and supporting all of her weight on one of the hand rails. Her breathing was uneven and laboured and Chloe's legs were already moving towards her girlfriend before studying the look further.

As she got closer, it became apparent Beca was having an asthma attack of some sort and the panic and fear reflected back from Beca's eyes and into her own - Beca never told her she had asthma.

Growing up, Chloe had had her fair share of experiences with asthma; her little brother Jake suffered really bad with it during his younger years and Chloe was the only one who could calm him down and even out his breathing.

It seemed old habits never die and the redhead was instantly lowering Beca to sit on the step with her hands on her forearms. The rest of the Bellas were turning their heads now and Aubrey promptly silencing her orders. The rest of the group were crowding around them, concerned, as Chloe was looking into Beca's eyes and gently rubbing her hands up and down her biceps.

"Beca, look at me, just breathe. In and out, slowly. It's OK, I'm here, just breathe."

She shooed the rest of the Bellas away trying to give Beca her space; Chloe was taking long and deep breaths of her own, urging Beca to imitate her.

When the fear in Beca's eyes wasn't fading, the redhead was cupping her cheeks, "Babe, just try and forget everything and focus on my breaths. You're going to be OK."

Beca was wheezing, almost gasping for air as her eyes frantically searched Chloe's as they darted back and forth. Her shoulders were rattling and short raspy breaths leaked from her lips as she desperately tried to inhale more oxygen into her lungs. Her head was slumping to rest on Chloe's shoulder and suddenly the older woman was scared – usually Jake would come out of it by now.

"I have an inhaler!" Jessica shouted, rushing to her bag and running back to the step Chloe and Beca were currently slumped on. Chloe took it with an appreciative smile before lifting Beca's head and pushing it into her hands with a quick "Here, use this."

Beca was bringing it to her lips slowly, like the inhaler weighed one hundred times heavier than it was and took two long puffs.

It seemed to work, easing the rasping and wheeze in Beca's throat.

"Just relax, Becs. Take a minute to catch your breath."

After a couple of minutes her breathing almost returned to normal and she was shuffling even closer into Chloe's side. Her head was burying itself into her shoulder as Beca attempted to ground herself and maintain a steady heart rate. Chloe placed a light kiss to her temple and rubbed comforting circles on her back, "It's OK. It's all OK."

 **XXX**

They had cut practise short after that, all of the Bellas fussing over Beca as they made their way across campus together and back to the house. Beca was back to normal now, and in typical fashion, brushed off their hugs and insisted she was "absolutely fine."

Chloe kept a tight grip on the sweaty hand in hers the entire time, not able to let go. Beca looked and sounded fine but it had scared her; for a minute she wasn't sure what to do and things slowly slipped out of her control. Beca would tell her she was just being over dramatic but Chloe couldn't help but let her mind ponder the worst; what if Jessica hadn't of had that inhaler? What would she had done if…

"Hey, are you OK?"

Beca was gently tugging on her hand and pulling her back to the front door, as Aubrey and the rest of the Bella's carried on.

"Yeah" she replied, forcing a smile.

"That was your fault…"

Chloe's face dropped, as she scanned Beca's eyes worriedly.

"…You looked so hot today, you literally took my breath away" she smirked, wrapping her hands around Chloe's waist and pulling her closer.

"Beca, that isn't funny. What if-"

"Chlo, life is way too short for what-if's, I'm fine; don't worry about it."

Before Chloe could reply, Beca was pressing a quick kiss to her lips and turning around to pull Chloe into the kitchen with her hips.

 **XXX**

It was supposed to be pizza and movie night, but the Bellas had decided to call it an early night. Beca was the last to shower and change into her pyjamas, so when she walked into the living room asking what "crappy movie" they would be watching this time, everyone had shuffled uncomfortably, informing they were all just going to go to bed.

So, yeah, maybe Chloe had a quiet word whilst Beca showered but she needed her rest, OK?

"What? But movie night is like sacred to you guys, right?" Beca had questioned before Chloe was gently pushing her closer to the stairs and into her room.

"Bree feels awful" Chloe said, curled next to her on the bed, her leg wrapped around Beca's thigh.

"I know, we talked. I told her not to worry about it" she whispered into Chloe's hair with a smile.

"And I'm going to tell you exactly the same thing…" she added, pulling away to look at her girlfriend properly, "…please stop worrying."

Chloe closed her eyes for a second and breathed out a defeated sigh, "OK, I'll try."

It was ridiculous to think Beca was the one who actually suffered her first asthma attack today and she was telling everybody _else_ not to worry. Chloe couldn't expect anything less really; although Beca didn't want many people to know it she made a habit of putting the people she cared about before herself.

It was another reason she could have listed to Aubrey eight months ago; if they had the time.

"I made a doctor's appointment earlier, so I'm all good" she assured moving to turn on her side.

"Good" Chloe smiled, mirroring her girlfriend's positon and lightly running the pad of her thumb over her cheek.

"Thank you" Beca mumbled against her lips just before she closed the distance and kissed them.

"For what?" Chloe asked, breathlessly, the curiosity winning her internal battle as she eventually pulled her mouth away, not allowing herself to get lost in the kiss.

"I don't know, for being there. And, like, reminding me to inhale oxygen and expel carbon dioxide" she shrugged with a smirk but then nervous Beca was making an appearance.

She cast her eyes down to the bedsheets between them and busied her hands by rubbing circles on Chloe's arm, "You stayed with me and made me feel calm – I don't think I would have been able to act so cool about it now if you hadn't been there."

"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, Becs."

Her words were spoken lightly and her finger softly poked Beca's shoulder with a smile. They had an underlining meaning; a quick and reassuring reminder that Chloe was in this for the long haul. Chloe was aware of Beca's biggest fears and insecurities and being left alone was on the top of that list.

Chloe wasn't leaving, ever.

"God, just tell me how to get rid of you already!" Beca teased, rolling her body on top of a now laughing Chloe with a mischievous smile.

Nervous Beca was quickly evaporating and replaced with her confidence. A finger was dipping under the waistband of Chloe's pyjama shorts as Beca assaulted her neck with open mouthed kisses. The redhead was grabbing Beca's wrist and pushing it the rest of the way down her body before breathing out a quiet "I'm pretty sure that…" she tightened her grip momentarily with the raise of her eyebrow, "…isn't going to make me go away."

Beca's hot breath bounced off Chloe's collarbone as the brunette let out a chuckle, "Good job I don't want you to go then, isn't it?"

 **XXX**

 **A/N 2** **– Loved it? Hated it? Thought it was kind of "meh"? Let me know in the reviews.**

 **Thank you for reading and thanks for prompting :)**


	46. 46 - The Date

**So I wasn't going to do a follow up but then it happened, so…**

 **The Date (or Part 2 of "A Date")**

Beca had been watching the clock all afternoon and she couldn't even bring herself to stop. Her shift had been an uneventful one - well as much as one can be in a hospital – some paperwork, her usual rounds and a few new patients here and there.

But she never got too far through the day without her mind wandering back to the morning in the canteen or pressing forward to her and Chloe's 'date' this evening. There was a mixture of excitement and nerves making themselves at home in her stomach and no matter what she did in order to distract herself, she couldn't shake them away.

There were thoughts of Chloe – what would she wear, what would she cook, was this morning a huge figment of her imagination? In all honesty, Beca had wanted to ask the redhead on a date a couple of weeks into their friendship but she had shrugged it off and locked it away in the back of her mind.

The text with Chloe's address was the only realisation Beca needed.

Tonight was definitely a real thing that was going to happen.

…And there was that excitement again.

The kind that made her body shudder with a smile and a childlike laugh tumble from her lips.

Beca was sat in her car, her eyes focussing on the time reflecting back at her on the stereo. It seemed each time she had checked the clock today, the hour and the minutes had never been the ones she really wanted to see.

 **6:37PM**

OK, so maybe Beca was early but so what? It was better sitting in her car outside Chloe's apartment complex in anticipation instead of in her own living room. She had decided to keep it casual; just wearing jeans, a plain white t-shirt and an oversized hoody that was probably _too_ casual for a 'date' but after changing four times already, the brunette just stared at her reflection in her bedroom mirror and uttered a quick "fuck it" before walking out of the door.

Her hand rested on the door handle as her brain fought with itself once again.

Making her way up to the second floor and knocking on door 2B (So what if she knew it by heart; Beca had read and reread Chloe's text more times then she'd care to admit) right this second would be too soon; too eager; too much?

She didn't really know anymore.

Truth be told, Beca hadn't dated for a while. The stress with her last relationship was enough to swear her off dating in general, never mind just at the hospital.

"She's been through the mill one too many times, Becs."

Aubrey had announced over her gin and tonic with a shrug.

"Never judge a book by its cover" Beca had mumbled out with a shrug of her own.

As much as she hates to admit it, Aubrey was right. It took her a long time to finally see it (four months to be exact) but to her Beca was just another flavour of the month.

Olivia worked trauma; she was a few years older than Beca and had this way of wearing down the brunette's resolve. It started out as fun; a night after a messy session at the bar or a distraction during her lunch break but eventually things got serious and Beca found herself wanting more.

She thought Olivia wanted that too but eventually they both realised it wasn't what they needed. They fought and made up constantly, to then have it brought back up again and argue some more. It wasn't a healthy relationship by any means and in the end it kind of ended the way it began.

A drunken night together or sneaking off to the overnight room during their break; any feelings that was once there soon evaporated and Beca wasn't even that bothered when Olivia announced she wanted to "see other people."

The entirety of their time together interfered with Beca's work and had her thinking if it was even all worth it.

It wasn't.

And Aubrey had been right all along, again.

God, she hated it when that happened.

So when Beca met Chloe, despite the lingering touches, the flirtatious comments and the feelings that stirred inside her whenever the redhead was around, Beca willed herself not to get attached. Chloe couldn't be another Olivia; she was sure the nurse was worth so, so much more than that.

Beca pulled herself out of her thoughts as her eyes met with the car stereo, yet again.

 **6:47PM**

"Fuck it."

Beca pulled on the handle and grabbed the bottle of wine off the passenger seat before making her way to the building.

 **XXX**

Chloe had basically worried her way through the day regarding their date. Perhaps it wasn't the smartest idea to suggest cooking for Beca when she in fact _cannot_ cook, like at all. Due to working long hours and laziness, Chloe tended to 'cook' things already prepared for her and in a packet.

In the end, she had decided on spaghetti bolognaise; it seemed simple and straight forward enough, until Chloe actually got to it and ended up forcing Stacie to talk her through it on the phone.

All the worry and concern regarding her cooking quickly faded away the minute Beca knocked on her door, thrusting her a bottle of wine. Beca was wearing that typical wonky smile she always sported when she felt awkward as she gestured to bottle now in her hands.

"It's cheap and I would prefer if we didn't drink it but Aubrey told me I couldn't have dinner in your home without bringing a gift."

She put the last word in air quotes and shook her head with a smirk. Chloe let out a chuckle, before stepping aside and gesturing for her to come in.

"Not that it wasn't a nice thought or anything but I kind of don't drink wine" the redhead breathed out with a guilty smile and an apologetic look.

"Thank god, I thought I was going to have to pretend" Beca replied honestly, flopping down on the couch and making herself at home.

It was in that moment, Chloe realised she had literally nothing to worry about.

Until she was settling a plate in front of Beca and intently gorging the other woman's reaction when she brought the fork to her mouth. Beca's face seemed to stay the same, causing her to panic and before Chloe could stop herself she was dropping her cutlery and rushing out a loud "I can't cook!"

At first it seemed the outburst surprised her, until she was falling back into her chair with laughter. Chloe simply sat at the table, unsure of what to do, until Beca was sobering.

"Chlo, seriously chill out! It's fine; I eat pretty much anything" she assured, reaching to give Chloe's hand a comforting squeeze.

With that action alone, Chloe could almost feel the worry leave her body, for a second time that evening.

"Oh, you'll eat anything?" she asked boldly with a wink.

It was like the worry had suddenly found Beca's body as it's host, as she nervously shuffled in her seat.

"Nope, I'm not even going there, we are not-" Beca was stuttering and Chloe couldn't help but find it adorable, "Just eat your burnt spaghetti" the brunette added hurriedly, pointing to the plate in front of her.

"It is not burnt!" Chloe defended, inspecting the food with her knife, "Is it?" she asked nervously, causing Beca to laugh again.

 **XXX**

Beca was sat on Chloe's sofa, painfully aware of her hand on the knee resting on her thigh. There was some music playing quietly in the background but she was too engrossed in conversation to notice. She was beginning to realise, despite their regular lunch breaks together, they didn't really know that much about each other; well, not in the social sense anyway.

Beca knew the look that would flicker in Chloe's eyes before she joked and made a particularly daring sexual comment. Beca was more than aware of the hand that would run through her hair when Chloe was tired after a long shift. She had all of Chloe's different smiles saved in her mind, like a back catalogue of which one suited which situation.

But since this evening, it had occurred to Beca she didn't know where Chloe grew up, If she had any siblings or her parent's names. She didn't know what made Chloe become a nurse and she hadn't known what her favourite band was.

But tonight, Beca was finding out whilst Chloe sat with one leg dangling off the couch and the other folded underneath her, the knee still resting against Beca's leg and under her palm. It was nice; it felt calm and relaxing to just hear Chloe talk about things that held more depth and didn't evolve around the hospital.

It was all so nice that Beca had paid no mind to the time on her phone or the clock on the wall once – which must have been a first all day. Sat on the couch with Chloe felt warm and safe; a place where Beca could speak freely about her own childhood and her parents and her love for music without worrying about any judgment.

"Do you want another beer?" Chloe asked, pushing herself onto her feet with a hand on Beca's knee and a smile.

"Yeah, please."

Her eyes followed the redhead around the couch and then out of sight into the kitchen. She let out a content sigh as she was alone with her thoughts. She couldn't help but feel the cold down her side now that Chloe wasn't pressed against it and it made her shiver involuntary at the loss of contact.

Then her mind was wandering further into new territory; she kind of wanted Chloe pressed up against her and not just on her side, but everyone else. There was a smile pulling at her lips when the woman in question was returning back to her seat with two beers in hand and a wide grin.

Beca let her eyes shamefully hoover over the top buttons of Chloe's blouse as she readjusted her positon on the couch, slightly leaning forward. She was seriously letting them linger too long and quickly dragged them away when Chloe was focussing her eyes back on her.

The brunette cleared her throat automatically, taking a swig of her drink and letting her eyes rest on the TV in front of the room.

"So have you lived here long?" Beca asked, twirling her finger in mid-air at the area of the room.

After that, they were easily falling back into conversation.

 **XXX**

When Chloe had sat down beside Beca earlier that morning, she hadn't planned on asking her out, it just sort of happened.

Now, Beca was sitting in her living room with Chloe's legs in her lap. Their position was comfortable and intimate; considering Beca would occasionally run her fingers along the arch of her foot. Chloe had lost count of how many beers they had drank and how many hours had passed since her shambles of a dinner, but it was safe to say she had barely scratched the surface these last few months and getting to know more about the woman beside her was causing her crush to soar higher with each passing topic of conversation.

They had come to a natural pause and resting in a comfortable silence when she was finding herself asking the question before even giving it a second thought.

"Has tonight been weird?"

Beca was harshly pulling the bottle from her lips and swallowing fast, "No. No, of course not. Wait, is it for you?"

The brunette's tone had gone from sounding reassuring to worried in just one breath and that made Chloe smile. It also made her think perhaps her feelings for the other woman were mutual. Without even replying, the redhead was shuffling closer, her legs now draped over the arm of the couch and no longer on Beca's knee.

Without any hesitation she was gently wrapping her hand around Beca's neck and pulling her lips on her own. They wasted no time in deepening the kiss and Chloe was being pulled the final centimetre and straddling Beca's knee. When they parted, Beca was flashing her faint look of bewilderment that suddenly changed into a wide smirk.

"That was totally not weird" Chloe mumbled truthfully, her nose lightly brushing against Beca's.

"I don't want to bossy or anything but I feel like we should do that again?"

The redhead was letting out a chuckle, almost closing the distance between them with a teasing grin, "Mh-hm?" she dragged out.

"And then again for good measure" Beca added, surging forward.

 **XXX**


	47. 47 - Nap Buddies

**Due to these reviews:**

" **Could you do more one shot with domestic Bechloe and babies. Please!"**

" **Could you please do another family shot? Love how you created Ava."**

" **Oh my ovaries! Bechloe as moms was so cute. Would love to read more in this universe :)"**

… **I'll give it a bash.**

 **Nap Buddies (on tour)**

At first, Beca wasn't all that keen on it. As soon as Chloe had suggested it, Beca felt something in her gut that made her think it wouldn't be a good idea, but of course, Chloe was quickly chipping away at her resolve. Whether it was with the puppy dog eyes, or those ridiculously delicate kisses pressed to her neck, Beca always broke; failing to hold her ground for any longer than a day.

"C'mon, babe, it makes so much sense. Ava is off school, I'm off work – it's the perfect opportunity!" Chloe practically beamed.

"I don't know, Chlo – it might not exactly be very child friendly?" Beca shrugged thoughtfully.

When Emily had walked out of her record deal and abruptly ended her contract at the start of the year, the former Bella had called Beca in sheer panic, begging the music producer to temporarily manage her. It was now reaching month nine and neither of them were making any new arrangements.

A couple of months ago, Beca had managed to snag Emily a three-month tour of Northern America for the summer. The album Emily wrote and Beca produced at the beginning of February was selling fast and on its way to becoming a multi-platinum record, so the tour was more than just well deserved.

"You can stay at hotels and the bus will have seatbelts – Ava will be fine, Becs."

Beca let her head drop to the headboard of the bed as she let out a sigh. She still wasn't convinced, but understood where Chloe was coming from. As Emily's manager, Beca had no choice but to support her client on tour and the only way to do that successfully was being there in the flesh for the full three months.

Leaving Chloe and Ava for the duration of the summer was daunting and something Beca was dreading. Goodbyes were never easy and trying to explain the concept of a tour and her absence to her five-year-old daughter would break her heart.

Then there was Chloe; the woman that had been by her side since college. If Beca was to actually think about it, they had only ever spent a week apart at the most – she was more than sure eight weeks and two days would kill her.

"C'mon, you know it could work."

Chloe was shuffling on the mattress, whispering the words into Beca's ear and letting her lips brush against it. The brunette was taking a deep breath, in an attempt to keep her focus.

"Yeah, but I'll be working and you'll be on a bus all the time" Beca reasoned, her voice shakier than she would have liked.

Clearly aware of the cracks in Beca's resolve, Chloe was moving to straddle her and resting her arms around her neck with a wide grin. The redhead let her lips hover over her girlfriend's for a moment, loving the way they automatically parted.

"We'll manage. I won't make it through three months without you" she dragged out, her tone clouding Beca's judgement.

Beca was moving closer to meet Chloe's lips before mumbling out a quick "OK" but the redhead was pulling away with an impossibly wider smile, "Really?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I mean it might be a bit confusing for Ava at first, but I'd much rather have you guys with me instead of at home for three months, you know?"

Chloe let out a high pitched squeal as she clapped her hands like some sort of happy seal, bouncing on Beca's knee.

"Dude, don't wake up sleeping beauty" Beca reminded, pointing to the wall separating theirs and Ava's room, shaking her head good-naturedly.

"Sorry" Chloe whispered, regaineing her balance.

"Now, shut up and kiss me" Beca breathed out with a smirk.

 **XXX**

Chloe was walking down the corridor, keycard in hand, already excited to spend a night with her little family. When she had suggested joining Beca on the tour with Ava, her girlfriend had been visibly reluctant, but Chloe was more than proud of herself for convincing Beca otherwise.

The past month had been flown by and despite the sometimes stressful journeys and Ava's little bouts of homesickness, Chloe was more than sure this was a good call. Whenever Beca got caught up in work or Ava asked to go home, the redhead would close her eyes and imagine how she and her daughter would be feeling if they were back in LA and patiently waiting for Beca's return.

Yeah, she knew this was a much better set up.

During the day, Chloe would plan days out to tourist attractions or aquariums for Ava – sometimes Beca was able to come a long but sometimes she wasn't and Chloe was more than understanding about Beca and her work commitments. At night, they would catch a little of the show or watch a movie, before putting Ava to bed. Later, Beca would let herself in and crawl into bed – all of the travelling was more than worth it for that and the three of them being together.

Beca had praised Chloe on more than several occasions on her ability to create a solid and constant routine for their daughter despite the fact that they were in different cities almost every day.

She scanned her card against the hotel door, movies in hand and an excitement settling the pit of her stomach; family night was by far her favourite night, ever.

"Beca, you better have that popcorn ready" she announced, closing the door behind her and slipping out her shoes.

When Chloe rounded the corner and caught a glimpse of the couch, she was overwhelmed with cuteness.

Beca was sprawled out, arm dangling off the side and soft snores leaving her lips. Ava was curled up on top of her, sleeping soundly and her hand submerged in the bowl of uneaten popcorn. The image made Chloe's heart swell with both appreciation and love and another reason her idea to join the tour was the one of the best she had ever made.

At home this was a common occurrence. Beca was and always had been a serial napper; during college it was borderline ridiculous and Chloe had even been dragged into it herself. Whenever she would knock on Beca's dorm door in order to wake her up, the brunette would let her in and somehow convince her to lay down with her at the drop of a hat. A sleepy Beca was soft, warm and a cuddler; how could Chloe possibly refuse?!

It seemed over the years, Ava had exactly the same habit. As a baby, she would sleep anywhere; during her dinner, during playtime, you know name it; Ava slept.

"But Mom says we're nap buddies."

Those words melted Chloe's heart the moment they left her daughters mouth and it still carried the full effect, even two years later.

As Chloe quietly set the DVDs down on the table, Ava was peeping through one eye with a sleepy smile, nestling further into Beca's chest and gesturing Chloe to join them. As tempting as it was, Chloe knew she had to fix something for dinner soon, before the "nap buddies" got cranky.

"Mom, come'ere."

It was then Beca was stirring, wrapping her arms protectively around her daughter and opening her eyes. She shot Chloe the same sleepy smile as Ava, before whispering a quiet "sorry" with a guilty smile.

Chloe simply laughed, picking up the room service pamphlet and scanning the menu with an infectious smile.

"Go and get Mommy to nap with us" Beca mumbled into Ava's ear as she pressed a kiss to her cheek and moved the bowl of popcorn onto the table.

There was no need to ask twice, as the toddler was on her feet, pushing off Beca's stomach causing her to let out a surprised yelp that quickly developed into a laugh. Ava was pulling at Chloe's hand and using all of her strength to drag her closer to the sofa, "Nap" she demanded with a cheeky grin very similar to Beca's.

As easy as it was for Chloe to convince Beca to do something, it was twice as easy for Ava to change Chloe's mind, so she was willingly being dragged closer to a very pleased Beca.

"Nap time!" Beca and Ava yelled out in unison, as Beca pulled the redhead on top of her and rolled her to the other side. Their daughter was then jumping on them both and plopping herself down in the middle of them, half of her weight on each of her parent's sides.

Beca let out a content sigh, turning her head to face Chloe, "This was the greatest idea you've ever had" she smiled.

"I told you it made sense" Chloe smirked, wrapping her arms around Ava and pressing sloppy kisses to her neck, causing her to giggle and try and wriggle out of her grip.

 **XXX**


	48. 48 - Drop the Act

**Prompt: "Chloe gives Beca a call while she's out with her friends but Beca isn't as affectionate as she usually is. Chloe suspects that Beca is cheating on her because she hears the voice of a girl in the background but Beca is quick to deny anything of the sort. Chloe decides to find out for herself what's going on. – Inspired by Destiny's Child's 'Say My Name.'**

 **Maybe Chloe lies and pretends to believe Beca but asks her friends to follow her to Beca's apartment (they don't live together) to find out what's really going on."**

" **Drop the Act, Beca, you've Been Caught Red-handed!"**

"Becs, can we get back to it."

The woman's voice sounded low and seductive, almost careless in fact and Chloe couldn't shake them away. The seven words weren't whispered or hushed but spoken loud enough to convince Chloe it wasn't the television or Beca's laptop in the background.

"Chlo, I've got to go, I'll see you for breakfast tomorrow."

Beca's response was rushed and almost sounded off-hand as she instantly hung-up – which is probably why Chloe is replaying their entire phone call on loop from last night in her head whilst making her way to the diner they were meeting in.

"Hey."

The brunette was standing by the table and pulling out a chair for Chloe with a smile.

"Hi" Chloe replied, leaning into the quick kiss that was pressed to her check.

"Did you have fun last night?" Beca asked, returning to her seat.

 _Did you have fun with that girl last night?_

There was a tiny part of her that wants to give that thought a voice, but instead Chloe shrugged the jacket off her shoulders with a smile.

"Yeah, the girls from work get pretty wild after shots."

Beca laughed as the waitress brought over their order.

It was in that moment Chloe realised how ridiculous she was being. Beca was and always had been completely invested in their relationship; sending good morning texts, storing extra pillows in the closet for when she spent the night or remembering her breakfast order were all the little things Beca did to ensure she made Chloe happy; and those were just scratching the surface.

"I got you extra syrup" Beca smirked, as Chloe's eyes rested on the plate of pancakes in front of her with a smile.

After meeting each other through mutual friends, Beca and Chloe had been seeing each other for six months and Chloe was sure she could see a future with the quiet and shy DJ that stuttered her way through their first encounter. Beca held her attention for the rest of the evening and Chloe has never looked back.

"Oh and black coffee for the hangover, right?" Beca joked around a mouthful of bacon.

"Actually, no."

From the minute she finished speaking to Beca on the phone, her mind was preoccupied and the recent happy and slight buzz of the evening quickly faded away.

"I guess I wasn't really in the partying mood" she shrugged with a small smile.

Beca reached for her own coffee, "Why didn't you text me, you could have come to mine?"

Chloe was instantly locking her eyes on Beca's and searching them; for what, she isn't sure. Perhaps it was just an automated response but somehow Chloe believes the sincerity within them.

"It was still kind of late and I didn't want to wake you."

That might have been a lie, but Chloe was already regretting letting her paranoia get the best of her. Beca had never given her a reason to think she would ever be unfaithful; the music was loud in the bar; she'd had a few drinks; Chloe could have easily misheard the voice that muffled in the background of Beca's empty apartment.

"It wouldn't have mattered; I like it when you come over."

Beca's response and the smile on her face silenced every doubt in Chloe's mind. She trusted Beca one hundred percent and she was more than sure her girlfriend was as serious about their relationship as she was; refusing to let anything ruin what they have.

"Besides, last night was kind of lonely, if you know what I mean?" the DJ wriggled her eyebrows comically, causing Chloe to giggle and gently squeeze the hand that had found its way into hers on the table.

 **XXX**

The sudden movement from the door of the building caused Aubrey to throw herself in her seat and recline the chair back with a thud and an "umph." Her eyes instantly checked the time as she watched the woman across the street get into her car and drive off.

If Chloe had any idea her best friend was currently camped out in her car outside her girlfriend's apartment, Aubrey is sure the redhead would drag her out of the driver's seat and drive them both home in silence.

Perhaps participating in some sort of surveillance operation outside of Beca's apartment building wasn't the most rational of things to do but this wasn't a stake out by any means.

With that thought, Aubrey crushed the empty coffee cup in her palm and pushed the box of donuts off the seat with a sigh – yeah, totally not a stake out.

Chloe had been moping around for the last week, trying to convince herself and Aubrey that Beca wasn't up to anything but t was beginning to take its toll. The redhead wasn't as smiley anymore and when Beca called or texted they were embraced with worry and dread instead of the usual excitement and enthusiasm. Despite her will to think positive, Chloe couldn't completely dismiss her suspicions and Aubrey couldn't stand it any longer before addressing the elephant in the room.

"I don't see why you can't just have a conversation about it?"

"Because I don't want her to run, Bree. Asking will only undo all of the time it took for Beca to completely let me in. It's just… It's complicated, OK?"

That was the final straw that had driven her (literally) to sit outside Beca's apartment for the past three nights in a row and it was proving rather educational so far. For every night Aubrey had been lying in wait, three different women had entered Beca's apartment for two hours and left at exactly the same time.

It was no secret Aubrey wasn't Beca's biggest fan, but she had hoped for Chloe's sake that Beca had a rational explanation for all of this, however, it was safe to say, things weren't looking good. The blonde leaned forward to turn up the radio and reached for another donut defeated.

Headlights shone through the back window of the car, before parking up opposite Aubrey. A tall brunette wearing what looked like office attire was getting out and making her way to the sidewalk and buzzing Beca's apartment. The anger suddenly washed over her and before she knew it, the blonde was already opening her door and throwing the donut back into the opened box.

Not only was Beca cheating on her best friend, but continued to do it every night, with different people – Aubrey wasn't going to stand for this.

She expertly slid her hand down every buzzer on the wall until the door clicked open. With each step, Aubrey could feel her cheeks getting hotter and the anger raising the closer she got to Beca's floor.

 _Chloe deserves so much better than Beca-Serial-Cheater-Mitchell._

Her hand was colliding with Beca's door and her fist pounded the wood impatiently; perhaps she should have reported back to Chloe before doing anything rash.

Well, it was too late for that now.

"What's the emerg-"

The second the door swung open and Beca's eyes landed on Aubrey, her words trailed off.

"What are you doing here?" the brunette asked, confused, but Aubrey was pushing her way past and strolling into Beca's apartment like she owned the place. She took in the white walls and hardwood flooring of the living room before her eyes landed on the same brunette from outside currently sat on the coach.

"Did you really think you'd get away with it?!" she yelled turning back to Beca who was closing the door, looking even more puzzled than before.

"What?"

Aubrey sighed loudly as she threw her hands in the air, "Drop the act, Beca, you've been caught red-handed for god's sake!" she pointed to the stunned woman with a look of disgust. "I just can't believe you could even do this to Chloe. After everything-"

"Aubrey, what the hell are you talking about?"

"That you're cheating on her, with different women every night!" she exclaimed, turning her attention back to the woman on the couch, "So I wouldn't get any ideas about thinking your special to her" Aubrey added, pointing accusingly at Beca.

"Why would you- I'm not cheating on Chloe!"

Beca's outburst surprised Aubrey, as she saw a flash of anger take over her face. The blonde imagined it was of similar to the kind that forced her up here in the first place. The stranger was suddenly getting to her feet and making her way over to the short woman by the door, "Look, I think I'm going to go, can we rearrange our lesson for next week, Beca?"

"Wait, lesson?"

Aubrey's eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she watched Beca offer the brunette a small smile before replying, "Yeah, sure. Look, I'm really sorry about this."

There was an exchange of nods and suddenly it was just Beca and Aubrey staring back at each other.

"Yeah, lesson, as in singing lesson" Beca announced, taking a seat and signalling Aubrey to do the same.

"Singing lessons? You, teaching people to sing?"

"Yeah, I needed to make some extra cash and fast" Beca shrugged, nervously shuffling under Aubrey's intent gaze.

"I don't understand; why would you willingly give singing lessons?" she stuttered out.

The idea of Beca willingly inviting strangers in her apartment to help them improve their singing sounded bizarre. Ever since Beca and Chloe had started dating, the DJ had seemed to grow more upbeat and less grumpy, but hosting singing lessons willingly? She couldn't possibly see Beca ever doing that.

"Do you remember when Chloe tried to get Taylor Swift tickets a few weeks back but they sold out?" Beca asked, bringing Aubrey back to the present.

She couldn't forget, Chloe had spent an entire week cursing herself for not getting up earlier or buying a faster laptop in preparation for the day they went on sale. To say Chloe was majorly disappointed was an understatement; it took four movies and five tubs of ice cream to cheer her up.

"Yeah?"

"Well I manged to find a pair of front row tickets off some dude online, but he charged triple the price. I spent my whole pay check and then some, so I really needed some extra money to tie me over until payday."

"Wait, so you're not cheating?"

Beca's eyes were cast down to the floor, before they were darting back up.

"No!" she hurried out, "God, no, I would never do that, Aubrey; I love her."

The blonde woman shuffled further into the sofa and let out a long sigh of relief, "Well I feel pretty stupid right now" she laughed awkwardly.

"Yeah, what's new?" Beca smirked, throwing her weight back into the cushion.

"Hey, how did you know they were buzzing for my apartment?" Beca added, intrigued.

"Binoculars, Beca" she replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

The woman beside her sat forward, looking astonished before blowing the air from her cheeks, "Chloe always argues with me whenever I say this, but God, you're insane!"

Aubrey was turning to glare, before both women were breaking into uncontrollable laughter.

"Look, Chloe never asked me to do this, but she's been down lately, Beca. Your unusual behaviour and flaking on dates could be giving her the wrong idea, you know?" Aubrey stated seriously.

"I just wanted to surprise her with them next month" Beca replied honestly, a guilty expression settling on her face.

"I get it…" Aubrey breathed out, "…but tell her tomorrow?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah, no of course. I'd hate her to get the wrong idea."

Both of them shared a smile, relaxing into the comfortable silence.

"Shit, I didn't lock my car!" Aubrey yelled, jumping up and speeding towards the door, as Beca watched with the shake of her head and a smile.

 **XXX**

 **I hope this was kind of what you had in mind; thanks for prompting :)**


	49. 49 - Massage Therapy

**Prompt: "AU – Chloe is a masseuse and Beca is a first time customer and has a massage."**

 **Massage Therapy**

Beca was sat in the waiting room, absentmindedly twisting the ring on her thumb as her eyes remained glued to the window. The receptionist had been looking her up and down since she arrived and it was taking all of her restraint to hold back the sarcastic retort on the tip of her tongue.

So, alright, perhaps Beca wasn't the typical customer in a massage parlor but she had a doctor's note and a constant pain in her lower back and that didn't give anyone the right to judge her sat awkwardly in a chair whilst patiently waiting for her appointment.

If she was being honest, the thought of actually undergoing a massage was stressful enough for Beca. The awkwardness, the physical contact and not to mention the lingering smell; an overpowering scent of a hair salon and a hospital all mixed together – quite frankly it all made her feel rather uncomfortable.

She shook her head, letting her eyes wander back to the woman behind the desk, before offering her a pointed glare and nervously pulling at the corner of the medical form on her knee, because yes, apparently filling in a medical form was "extremely important."

 _All of this because of reaching the top shelf?_

Beca had been ambitiously reaching for the last bag of chips on the top shelve of the cupboard in Stacie's apartment last week when she had stretched too far, causing a sound resembling a squeak to escape her lips. Much to Stacie's amusement – looking on from the other room – Beca had jolted upright before bending over slightly and holding the bottom of her back in pain. Since then, walking any faster than a shuffle sent a sharp pain down her spine and sitting down without slowly lowering into the seat first was impossible. Much to Beca's embarrassment, paired with a lot of convincing from Stacie, she had gone to doctor's hoping for a quick fix, but instead was recommended "massage therapy."

So here she is, sat awkwardly in the waiting room and dreading her name being called. Just as she was worriedly typing "what happens when you get a massage?" into the Google tab opened on her phone, the receptionist was calling her name and pointing her in the direction of one of the rooms down the hall. Beca took a deep breath before slowly dragging one foot in front of the other and trying to suppress a painful wince.

"Beca?"

A woman just a little taller than Beca was stood by the door.

"Yeah"

"Hi, I'm Chloe and I'm going to be massaging you today" she offered out her hand with a smile, as Beca shook it before following her into the room and sitting in one of the chairs by the door. Once Chloe sat down in front of her, it was then Beca actually took in her features; the piercing blue eyes, the warm smile; because of course someone this attractive would have to give Beca a massage!

Chloe began asking more medical questions (seriously, was it even necessary?!) and explained how and why massage therapy worked. If Beca was being honest, the whole conversation did nothing but make her more anxious about the inevitable of Chloe rubbing oil on her naked skin for thirty minutes.

It seemed that thought stirred more embarrassment for Beca, as well as making her feel something similar to guilt – should she really be thinking about what this woman's hands would feel like on her skin?

"So, do you mind me asking how you did it?"

Chloe's question was silencing Beca mid thought and she was actually rather thankful for it, but then she could feel the redness twinge at her cheeks, as she made eye contact with the redhead completely oblivious to Beca's almost dirty thoughts.

"Sport injury" she shrugged, ignoring every muscle in her body that told her she shouldn't and hoped the pain in her back wasn't written all over her face as she tried to remain nonchalant.

"Oh, really?"

It was then Beca was realising what drivel was leaving her mouth and suddenly she was in sheer internal panic. Perhaps being honest about her injury would have been more truthful and make her life less difficult, but Beca was never one to make things easier for herself.

"Yeah, so I really need a speedy recovery."

Alright, so that was actually true – Beca had been given a few days off work after she 'overstretched' but now she was starting to see how difficult it was to go about normal day to day life when she walked slower than a snail. Luckily, working in a recording studio allowed Beca to remain off her feet and behind a mixing board, but reaching for further buttons and sliders proved difficult – not to mention the fact she had to wake up two hours earlier than usual in order to take her time to get dressed and drive to the studio.

"Well I can't make any promises, but I'll try my best" Chloe smiled, getting to her feet, "OK, so if you get undressed and I'll be back in five?"

Suddenly the internal panic from earlier was back and Beca felt much like Chloe had pulled the pin from grenade and thrown it into her lap before making her decent and rushing out of the room.

"Undressed?" she repeated, the word sounding worried and uncertain, "Like, no clothes undressed?"

"Seen as the pain is in your lower back it would really help if I was able to access it, you know?"

There was a certain upbeat and playfulness to Chloe's tone, but the reassuring hand currently resting on Beca's forearm translated something else, "Don't worry, there are towels over there and I'll knock before I come back in."

Beca laughed nervously with the nod of her head. Since being here, Beca could recall more than three occasions she almost walked out, never to think of this experience again, but right now, the urge to run – well, shuffle to the door slowly but surely – was at its peak.

"Beca, everything will be fine" the redhead smiled before slipping out of the room, leaving Beca to continue to mentally plan her escape route. If she had the ability to anxiously pace, she would, but the thought of having a massage had created a tenseness in her body that wasn't too pleasant for her back, so she remained seated, racking her brain for an excuse to leave the minute Chloe returned.

But then she was slowly rising to her feet and pulling at the hem of her shirt. There was something in Chloe's previous words that made her want to believe them, not to mention the pain she had been trying to ignore for the last week. She had been half listening when Chloe was explaining "the positive outcomes massage therapy can have on a strained or pulled muscle in the lower back area" and honestly wanted nothing more than to walk like a normal human being again.

"OK" she sighed under her breath in an attempt to calm the tidal wave of nerves currently swirling in the pit of her stomach and delicately pulled the tee up and over her head slowly in an effort to prevent the familiar sharp pain in her spine.

There was a soft knock at the door just after Beca had carefully lowered herself onto the bed. It didn't even register to shout come in until Chloe was calling her name from the other side. After she had eventually communicated she was decent – although she felt anything but – Chloe was standing beside her as the brunette squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her face into the space for her head.

The sudden feel of warm fingers tucking the towel into the waistband of her underwear almost caused her to yelp and leap off the bed.

"Is this your first massage?" Chloe asked, a small trace of amusement in her voice.

"Um, yeah."

Beca had no idea what she was supposed to do with her hands or whether conversation and small talk were expected of her and she was suddenly regretting not leaving when she had the chance.

"I can tell…" Chloe laughed, "…just try and relax."

It was then Beca felt soft hands touch the top of her back and rub around her shoulders before dropping down to the root of her pain. She tried to clear her mind and mentally be somewhere else for the next twenty minutes, but it was proving difficult. It seemed the hands knew exactly what they were doing and where they were supposed to be and the moment they started rubbing soft circles on the small of her back, Beca was mustering up all of her restraint not to let out a satisfying hum.

If there was one thing Beca hadn't anticipated, it was how soothing it all felt. She had been walking around for the past few days with a constant stiffness and it seemed Chloe's hands were finally allowing her body to relax; which was ironic to say the least.

"Just let me know if I use too much pressure."

Beca was sure her cheeks reddened at that, causing her mind to fleet back to Stacie's words from earlier this morning; "having a massage is sensual and relaxing, and even better if you get a hottie rubbing oil on your body, Becs." Her best friend's words were causing Beca's nerves to return, as she pictured Chloe squeezing oil into her hands and rubbing it into the bottom of her back just as the redhead kneaded a particular tender spot causing a sound similar to a moan to leave her lips.

Automatically, her body was tensing on its own accord as Beca internally berated herself, the awkwardness heavily settling around her.

"Becs, relax."

The use of the nickname distracted her more than anything – Beca hated it when strangers called her that, but somehow she liked the way it sounded when Chloe said it.

"This isn't really my kind of thing" Beca announced, slightly disappointed Chloe's hands had stilled on her skin. "Having a massage, I mean. It's not something I would usually do" she added.

"It's not for everyone, but if you feel uncomfortable we can-"

"No, this is actually the least pain I've felt since I…" she trailed off, almost recalling the actual way she got the injury.

Chloe's fingers were moving again, sinking further and further into her skin, kneading and rubbing away the pain. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Beca was slowly relaxing and actually weirdly enjoying it. She was beginning to keep her mind out of the gutter and willed all focus to prevent any noises tumbling from her lips, until Chloe started talking again.

The tinge of playfulness and amusement that was almost apparent in Chloe's voice had seemed to increase the more time went on and Beca was sure this redhead would be the death of her.

"You have really soft skin."

"Do you need me to massage anywhere else?"

This was not helping, as Beca tried to keep a lid on her emotions (desires?) Although there was still a sense of professionalism to her comments, Beca was more than sure by Chloe's tone she was teasing or maybe flirting and quite frankly it was more than just distracting.

Stuttered out replies, "Um, thanks" and rushing out "no, thanks" was doing nothing but causing Chloe to talk more and Beca was dreading the moment she would have to look this woman in the eye once the session was over.

"OK, so I think we're all done" Chloe announced, as her fingers traced the tattoo imprinted on Beca's shoulder for a second too long.

"You can put your clothes back on now" her voice was just louder than a whisper, but the breath that tickled Beca's ear caught her off guard and she was lifting her head in surprise, turning to catch sight of Chloe's face much closer to hers than it perhaps should have been. There was a smug smile settling on the redhead's lips as she made no effort to move away, but in all fairness Beca made no attempt to either.

"Unless you want your happy ending?" Chloe winked.

That was it.

Beca was comically pulling the towel from her under her chest and rushing to sit up, until she was regretting the sudden movement and letting out a whimper as the sharp pain shook her spine. The soft and still oily hands were returning to the small of Beca's back once more, as Chloe rested her hand on Beca's arm in an attempt to help straighten the brunette out.

"I'm sorry, are you OK?" Chloe hurried out, looking equally concerned and guilty.

If it wasn't for her unpleasant discomfort, Beca would have been more embarrassed of the positon she was in; sat on her knees, tightly clutching a towel to her bare chest.

"I-Yeah, I'm fine" Beca spoke through gritted teeth, attempting to look more presentable and not in pain.

"Here" the redhead was grabbing a robe from the chair behind her as she threw it over Beca's shoulders just as the younger woman managed to get her legs hanging off the bed and shrugging her arms into the sleeves with an appreciative smile.

"I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have…" Chloe trailed off, the look of guilt from earlier finding its way back onto her features, "…that wasn't very professional of me."

Beca's hand was instinctively snaking behind her, as she tried to rub away the ache and stiffness that wasn't apparent less than sixty seconds ago, but couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of her lips as she realised the irony of it all; it seemed Chloe had the ability to both soothe and irritate her injury simultaneously.

Chloe's seductive words and the suggestive look in her eyes had more than just caught Beca off guard, undoing all of her previous hard work in order to keep her thoughts clean and pure for the most part of the session.

"Honestly, it's fine" Beca chuckled, looking down at her almost naked attire and imagining the fearful and anxious look that had been permanently sat on her face the moment she walked into the parlor.

"I mean, I'd mock me, you know?" she added, her laugher becoming more animated.

Chloe's hand was quickly resting on Beca's arm for a second time, as her eyes searched Beca's, "I wasn't mocking you" her voice was worried and regretful, "I just thought humor would lighten your mood."

Beca had stopped laughing now, seeing the genuine remorse on Chloe's face and for some reason, her hand was wrapping around Chloe's in the form of a reassuring squeeze, "Hey…" Beca waited for the redhead to look up at her, "…seriously, don't worry about it."

Chloe was offering her a small smile and it was then; in their close proximity, now hand in hand; Beca felt a magnetic pull to other woman's lips, so much so, she didn't even notice she was subconsciously leaning a fraction closer.

The sudden knock and holler behind the door caused Beca to pull back, and snatch out of Chloe's.

"Chloe, your next client is waiting!"

The almost intimate moment from a second ago was completely lost as Chloe took a step back, watching Beca struggle the rest of her way down from the bed to the floor, but the smile was still stretched across her lips.

"I'll let you get dressed" she announced, leaving Beca hugging the robe around the front of her body and feeling the most relaxed she had felt all day. Once she was dressed and opening the door, Chloe was waiting in the corridor, "I'll see you next week?" she offered, her voice sounding hopeful.

"Yeah, see you next week" Beca smiled, before attempting to walk less like a woman of ninety years of age, as she felt Chloe's eyes follow her on the way out.

For some strange reason, Beca nerves and anxiety were replaced by an uncharacteristic excitement, as she looked forward to seeing Chloe again.

 **XXX**

 **A/N:** **So potentially this could have been hilarious, but my brain didn't cooperate, sorry.**


	50. 50 - Regrets in Vegas

**Prompt: "The Bellas win worlds and celebrate in Vegas."**

 **Regrets in Vegas**

" _Beca, let's get married!"_

 _If Beca had heard those words leave anyone's lips, she's sure she would have a response no other than a scoff and a flat out "no", but somehow, right now, they stirred an unusual sense of excitement inside of her._

" _Us, get married?" she asked, hammering a finger into her own chest with a dopey grin, "As in you and me?"_

 **XXX**

When Beca had awoken drooling on Fat Amy's shoulder, she knew last night had probably gotten out of hand. There was a feeling of something she couldn't identify settling in the pit of her stomach as she pulled herself up off the hotel room couch and made her way over to the bag she hadn't had a chance to unpack the night before.

When the Bellas won Worlds, Beca was dead against celebrating their triumph in Las Vegas. It had bad idea written all over it but eventually Chloe had twisted her arm, promising she would limit Fat Amy's alcohol intake and "tell Stacie to keep it in her pants." It seemed to be working, until Beca started hitting the bar, knocking back the shots and chugging the cocktails, no longer paying attention and actually having fun.

The aftermath of those very shots and cocktails were suddenly making themselves known as Beca bent down to pull at the zip. Her hands instinctively shot up to her temples, as she took a seat on the end of the bed, defeated.

It was then she felt the coldness of metal on her skin that shouldn't be there. As she pulled her hand away, in search of the offending item on her finger, there was a foot suddenly sticking into her back. It was arched and warm and despite the bed sheet wrapped around it, Beca was more than sure the limb belonged to Chloe.

From the moment they met, personal space was something Chloe never understood and ever since then, Beca welcomed every touch with a grumble or an eye roll that was just for show. Over the years, the brunette was able to tell the difference between Chloe's delicate fingers on her forearm; her arms that would wrap around Beca as Chloe hugged her from behind; or her foot that was currently rubbing the small of her back without even seeing her and just knowing the feel of her the redhead's touch.

Distracted by the movement, Beca turned, seeing her sleeping best friend nuzzled against the pillow. Her eyes traced the outline of her smile and wandered to her fingers that slowly twitched against the sheets. The sight in front of her, paired with the raging hangover gradually getting worse was urging her to climb in and allow the redhead's warmth and familiarity to lull her off back to sleep.

It was strange to think how many times Beca had fought that urge and the plenty of other times she had given up and peeled the duvet back, but right now - with Amy sleeping on the sofa less than three feet away - it wasn't a good time. Chloe and Beca sharing a bed every now and then was no secret in the Bella house, although the cuddling wasn't exactly known information.

 _Better to keep it that way_ , Beca thought, unzipping her bag this time on the first attempt. Although Chloe's foot was still against her back, taunting her and chipping at her resolve – because Chloe possessed the ability to change Beca's mind even when asleep – the DJ stood up and made her way to the bathroom.

The moment Beca stood into the shower and reached for the dial, she caught sight of the ring on her left finger, and the feeling that swirled around her stomach when she woke up was back. It wasn't quite dread or worry, but it was unignorably strong and the reason she rushed out of the shower clad in just the hotel room towel, and back out to the bedroom.

Before Beca even knew where she was heading, her feet were planting themselves into the carpet and moving her body forward, coming to a halt by the side of Chloe's bed. The woman's fingers still occasionally twitched and Beca was hurriedly pulling them from the sheets and looking for a ring matching Beca's on the same finger.

But it wasn't there and suddenly that feeling had turned into sheer panic; dread and worry coming a close second. If she hadn't married Chloe last night then-

"Beca, what are-"

Chloe's sleep laced words died off, as she took in Beca's current attire and raised an incredulous eyebrow, "Are you naked right now?" she asked with a smirk, sitting up and removing her hand from Beca's tight grasp in favour of wiping the sleep from the corner of her eyes.

"This isn't really how I pictured it happening, but…" Chloe had that playfulness in her tone as she threw the sheets back, and patted the space beside her.

On a typical morning, Beca would laugh the comment off and will her cheeks to remain their natural colour. In fact, late at night, when her mind was full of questions relating to Chloe's true feelings for her, replaying these types of moments would give her butterflies, as well as hope that perhaps the redhead felt the same.

But right now, amidst her current situation, Beca could feel her temper shortening as she wrapped the towel tighter around herself and retreated back to the bathroom.

"Beca?"

Chloe's voice muffled through the door as she slipped into the change of clothes still sitting on the toilet seat, attempting to clear her head, racking her brain for any memories of the night before. Her eyes would instinctively drop down to the band on her finger and each time it caused her to worry even more than the last.

There was a knock on the door and Beca could tell by the softness of the knuckles hitting the wood that it was a cautious one.

"Becs?"

She pulled her eyes away from her finger, taking a deep breath and opening the door. Chloe was wearing a concerned expression, practically standing on the threshold and looking at her best friend expectantly.

"What the fuck happened last night?" Beca yelled, holding up her left hand with both confusion and fear.

Chloe opened her mouth to speak, before closing it. As Beca waited impatiently for an answer, she searched the redhead's eyes; there was something in them that looked like hurt and it did nothing to reduce her puzzlement; if anything it increased it.

"You don't remember?" Chloe asked, her voice small.

"Remember what?!" Beca cried, suddenly tired of being left in the dark.

"You got hitched to Stacie."

Fat Amy's voice seemed to echo off the walls, the Australian completely unaware of Beca's meltdown and the tears welling at the bottom of Chloe's eyes. The redhead wiped them away with the back of her hand, quickly smiling away any signs of her upset, "Yeah, you and Stacie decided you wanted to get married" Chloe confirmed, her voice losing its usual cheeriness.

Beca wasn't sure what to say, as her mouth began turning dry. She was completely wrapped up in her own fear and panic, losing all focus on the other two Bella's in the room. There was a small twinge of relief to know she hadn't married a stranger, but the fact that she had no recollection of past events worried her even more than before.

Before she could think of a response, Beca was running towards the door and down the corridor, ignoring the calling of her name, as Chloe's voice travelled down the walls all the way until she turned the corner and reached the elevator.

 **XXX**

Stacie had been sat at the hotel bar for the past forty minutes, her fingers pinching at the wooden stick as she turned the olive in her martini glass. Although it usually did the trick to amend her hangover, Stacie was still yet to take her first sip.

She cast her eyes down to the wedding band on her finger, a different feeling from the night before washing over her. It was no secret she thought Beca Mitchell was hot; there was something about the contrast between her confidence and awkwardness that Stacie found both sexy and cute – not to mention she was a sucker for dark eyeliner.

Throughout their entirety of college, Stacie had jumped at any given opportunity to flirt with a flustered Beca. At first it was for amusement, but it gradually developed into a game to see how far she could push the DJ and how quickly Chloe could suddenly go from calm to possessive in a matter of seconds.

Stacie had always been a shameless flirt, so eventually every moment was an opportunity to make a suggestive comment or rude innuendo and she revelled the way Beca's cheeks would blush and how the younger word would flash pleading eyes to the redhead who was never too far away.

If she was being honest, Stacie thought her antics would eventually drive one of the other woman to admit how they felt about each other, but she and the rest of the Bella's were still waiting for that day to arrive.

So the night before, after one too many drinks and when Beca had well and truly loosened up, Stacie pulled her to side of the club with one question on her mind, but she never thought for one minute Beca would say yes. She was so taken aback by her response, she even asked if Beca was sure – more than once.

Beca had spent the majority of the night by Chloe's side, leaning to whisper things into her ear, bringing a drink back for her whenever she ventured to the bar or Chloe would daringly press her body against Beca's on the dance floor – Stacie had actually taken the time to clarify she was in actual fact _not_ Chloe asking the question.

In her drunken daze, Stacie just wanted to try and tempt Beca for the last time before they all parted and started their new beginnings away from Barden. There was never that chemistry between them; that thick, burning type of chemistry that enveloped Beca and Chloe when they were together, but Beca agreeing to marry her in Las Vegas after winning Worlds was a small victory she more than wanted to have.

Granted, things would never develop and Stacie wouldn't ever do anything to hurt or harm Chloe's friendship but Beca's dopey grin and clumsy hand gestures made her smile and spring into action without taking Beca and Chloe's feelings into consideration.

Now though - the morning after – Stacie was feeling regretful, which probably explained why her glass was still full; prolonging her hangover was a way to punish herself for last night's behaviour. Her hands braced the bar, as she pushed out her stool, but suddenly Beca was throwing herself down on the seat next to her.

"We need to talk."

 **XXX**

 _Stacie nodded eagerly, moving to grab Beca's shoulders and knocking the table of discarded beer bottles and empty glasses with her knee in the process, "Yeah, you and me" she confirmed, her face beaming with excitement, as she squeezed Beca's shoulders._

 _Beca's face was similar to that of a four-year-olds who had just heard a curse word she knew she wasn't supposed to say, and Stacie was finding it all too endearing and cute._

" _Can we?" she slurred out, looking unsure, "…because that sounds like an awesome idea!" she yelled eagerly, causing Stacie to laugh. Before she could respond, Beca was tugging at her hand and leading her outside in a hurry._

" _Let's go get married!"_

 **XXX**

 **A/N:** **This prompt was very long winded (I'm not complaining though) so I decided to split it into two for length reasons. Part Two to follow…**


	51. 51 - Happy

**DISCLAIMER 1:** **I do not own Pitch Perfect or its characters. All words and mistakes those of my own.**

 **DISCLAIMER 2:** **This is chapter filler other than anything else – it's just a cheesy happy little update, so yeah, whatever :)**

 **Happy**

Chloe remembers the first time they brought her home. Beca had cautiously driven under the speed limit the entire ride with the stereo turned all the way down. Her eyes constantly checked the rear view mirror each time they stopped at a red light or drove over the tiniest bump in the road; in all fairness, Chloe was completely in awe of it. Ava had been asleep the entirety of the journey from the hospital and Beca was taking every precaution not to disturb her.

Chloe was sure her heart grew three times bigger due to the cuteness of it all. Their daughter had been tucked into her car seat completely unaware of the effect she was having on "bad ass" Beca Mitchell.

Once they had gotten home, Beca was out of the car and rushing to the passenger side door, scrambling for the handle and helping Chloe out of the car.

"Becs, I'm no longer pregnant, you don't need to do that anymore" she laughed with the shake of her head, stepping out of the car. Throughout the entirety of her pregnancy, Beca had ensured every single one of Chloe's needs were met, but eventually Beca's antics turned drastic.

Things such as reaching the short distance from the sofa to the coffee table for the remote or carrying her own bag became difficult as Beca insisted "I've got it."

It was the root of all of the very few hormonal arguments they had during the nine months, but Chloe knew she didn't really have the right to get mad, because deep down in made her swoon and made her realise Beca was definitely the right person to start a family with.

"Yeah, well you just recently gave birth, so deal with it" Beca smirked, smacking her lips against Chloe's before closing the door and jogging around the car to her daughter.

The newness of being a Mom should have slowly evaporated now, but for Chloe and Beca it was still very much in full swing, especially now Ava had started teething.

What once used to be quiet nights had suddenly turned into the loudest of them all. They both had taken in turns to nurse a crying Ava on a nightly basis, as well as taking drives in the early hours of the morning - the hum of engine was the only thing that seemed to soothe her to sleep.

Seen as Chloe was still on maternity leave, the redhead tried to her best to let her girlfriend sleep through, but it was no use; despite Beca's early mornings and long days at work, she was still more than willing to do her fair share of nursing, singing, rocking and all that came with it in an attempt to calm their daughter.

And that made Chloe fall even more deeper in love with her.

"I'll go" Beca whispered, her hand reaching out to still the redhead's attempt to get up first. Before Chloe could protest, Beca was squeezing her hand and giving her one of those pointed warning glares that never carried as much weight as Beca wished it would.

"Chlo, go to sleep" she whispered shouted, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, as she watched the other woman burying her face into the pillow with a guilty expression and knowing smile.

"But it's my turn next" Chloe warned, as Beca waved her off whilst making her way down the hall to a crying Ava.

 **XXX**

Chloe rolled to Beca's side of the bed, her arm outstretched to land on cold sheets. She opened her eyes, glancing the time illuminating off the alarm clock on the bedside. Although she wasn't entirely sure what time Beca had gotten up, she had a feeling it was a while ago, so Chloe was getting to her feet and padding her way down the hall to Ava's room.

"Becs?"

Her quiet whisper bounced off the walls of the empty room, as Chloe's head popped around the door to see an babyless crib and a Becaless rocking chair. She let out a sigh and started down the stairs.

Once she was in the living room, Chloe was stopping abruptly at the sight on the couch, as she felt something she had recently dubbed "cuteness overload" and had been using it more frequently in conversation in an attempt to annoy the brunette – it worked, every time.

There was a mug of what looked like now cold coffee sitting on the table and Beca's feet settled beside it. She was slumped down the sofa, holding a book in one hand, whilst the other rested on Ava's back who was sleeping soundly on her chest.

Chloe tiptoed over, taking extra care not to wake the pair up, as she gently tugged the worn book from her girlfriend's hands.

 _Everything You Need to Know About Teething Babies_

The pages were wrinkled and certain ones folded over at the corner. On a closer expectation, Chloe could just about see Beca's rushed and scribbled handwriting cover the pages in their darkened living room. How didn't she know about this book?

The smile on her face was widening, the "cuteness overload' heightening as she looked to the protective hand around Ava and the way the child had a loose grip on Beca's shirt.

There was no doubt in Chloe's mind that Beca was the greatest Mother to Ava, the book in her hands proved that and indicated Beca would never tire of trying to be better. Chloe had known she loved Beca more than she ever thought she could, but her girlfriend's actions over this last year had proved just how much Beca loved and cared for her.

There was a joyous feeling taking over her and before she could even register she was crying, the wetness of her tears trickled down her cheek. It was then Beca was stirring slightly and opening her eyes to catch a glimpse of Chloe.

"Chlo?"

Beca had moved forward instinctively to comfort her, but quickly refrained and hugged Ava closer. The brunette's expression was concerned and almost panicked, but she was hastily tapping at the vacant seat beside her on the couch, urging Chloe to sit down.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly, the words muffled into Chloe's hair, as the redhead leaned into her side with a long sigh and a small chuckle.

"I'm just so happy" Chloe replied, pulling at Beca's arm and guiding it around her shoulders, before scooting closer and pressing a delicate kiss to the top of Ava's head. Beca stayed silent, but Chloe could feel the imprint of her smile against her temple.

"Can you still be hormonal?" the brunette eventually asked, with a chuckle of her own.

"Shut up, I'm serious. Everything is perfect right now" Chloe breathed out, her voice shaky and laced with emotion.

"Oh my god, you're so cheesy" Beca teased with a smirk.

"You should be thankful Ava is sleeping on you right now" Chloe warned, laughter spilling from her lips as she felt Beca's body tense.

"I'm happy too" Beca whispered, craning her neck to look Chloe in the eyes, "Everything is perfect" she repeated, before capturing her lips in a chaste kiss.

 **XXX**


	52. 52 - Regrets in Vegas P2

**Regrets in Vegas (Part 2)**

 _Chloe remembers when she finally got in touch with Beca and the immense relief that washed over her the moment she heard her voice. Usually, when Beca's name – followed by the heart emoji – lit up her phone, Chloe would feel a range of different emotions but tonight was different._

 _Beca and Stacie had disappeared from the club without uttering a word to anyone. Due to the alcohol and the Bella's celebratory festivities none of the others noticed._

 _But Chloe did._

 _God, Chloe_ _ **always**_ _noticed when it came to Beca._

 _Despite her time at Barden before meeting Beca, Chloe was sure, in the future, whenever she looked back at her experience at college, Beca Mitchell would be her first thought. Chloe's life at college changed the minute the DJ walked into her life and it was that single thought – late one night after a drunken cuddle in Beca's bed – Chloe realised she was in love with her best friend._

 _Friends weren't supposed to dance together like they did or sleep in each other's beds. They weren't meant to hold hands or kiss each other's cheeks and Chloe most certainly shouldn't end romantic relationships with others in hopes that Beca would finally admit she felt the same._

 _So when Beca finally picked up her phone, Chloe was more than just relieved to hear her voice. After all a drunk Beca Mitchell wandering the strip in Las Vegas had trouble written all over it. She had spent the last hour going out of her mind and letting a string of horrible scenarios take over. If anything happened to her, Chloe wasn't really sure how she's cope._

" _I've got a surprise for you."_

 _Beca had drunkenly mumbled into the phone with so much enthusiasm that it stirred something up inside of Chloe's heart._

 _Perhaps tonight, a week before graduation and shortly after winning Worlds, Beca was finally going to say the words Chloe had always wanted to hear. Beca didn't hold anybody else's hand or cuddle into anyone else's side and Chloe had been holding onto that with so much hope and optimism this past year that she was sure Beca did and always had felt the same connection as she did._

" _We kind of got married!" Stacie practically beamed, tearing away all of Chloe's previous hope and excitement. The tall brunette pulled at Beca's limp arm, letting their hands show the matching rings sitting firmly on both of their fingers._

 _The Bella's giggles and shock became white noise for Chloe, as her heart seemed to fall down into her stomach with so much disappointment and defeat that she actually felt like her legs might give out._

 _Chloe knew she should have been laughing or joining in on the cheering with the rest of the Bella's but she couldn't._

 _Beca had done more than just surprise her; it had knocked her for six._

 _But more than that, it hurt. It physical hurt to think Beca could just run off with Stacie to get drunk married without even giving Chloe a second thought._

 _Beca was currently swaying slightly, a drunken smirk plastered on her face as she steadied herself with one of the tables. Her eyes wandered to Chloe's as she shrugged with a small smile before making her way over to sit next to the redhead with a clumsy bump to her shoulder._

" _Surprise" she whispered, her smirk returning._

 _Chloe took a second to gather her thoughts, her eyes fixed on the glass of beer in front of her, as she tried to make sense of everything._

 _Perhaps it was silly to feel so much upset over this, but Chloe couldn't help but think if Beca was ever going to get married to one of the Bella's whilst intoxicated, it should have been her, shouldn't it?_

 _She took a deep but shaky breath before turning to face her best friend._

" _I really wasn't expecting that" she announced with a laugh that sounded a lot more bitter than she should have allowed._

" _I know, it's insane!" the brunette laughed loudly with a look of both disbelief and amusement, "I can't believe I did that" she added, fiddling with the new piece of mental on her ring finger with the shake of her head._

" _I think I'm going to get some air" Chloe mumbled, abruptly getting to her feet and heading for the door._

" _Chlo?"_

 _She couldn't help but stop, the hope taking hold of her again. Beca's voice was soft and almost concerned._

" _Do you want me to get you drink for when you come back?"_

" _No, I'm not really in the mood anymore" she answered honestly and continued her path to the exit, trying to stop the tears from falling until she was out of sight._

 **XXX**

"What's up, wifey?"

Right now wasn't the time for jokes, but it seemed everyone wanted to make one apart from Beca.

"Stacie, this isn't even remotely funny" Beca warned with a sigh, before letting her head sink into her hands, "What the fuck did we do?" she mumbled into her palms.

It was a rhetorical question, but it didn't stop Stacie from answering it.

"We got hitched, in Vegas. Man, I can finally tick that box off my bucket list."

Beca was sitting up now, the anger causing her nostrils to flare slightly, "Tick off your bucket list?!" she shouted, the volume of her voice causing a few heads in the bar to turn, "We just ruined our lives and you're glad you get to tick it off your bucket list?!"

Stacie sank into her chair, finally taking a long swig from the once untouched glass in front of her. The guilt was resurfacing and Beca's face wasn't helping right now.

She looked destressed and confused, as well as panicked and upset; Stacie really didn't know how to deal with this side of Beca – that was usually always a job for Chloe.

 _Chloe._

 _If Beca felt like this, how was Chloe even feeling right now?_

Through her drunken haze, Stacie couldn't really remember much of Chloe after she and Beca had rushed back to tell the Bella's their news and that worried her even more.

"You think this is funny, don't you? Stacie Conrad the Barden flirt, always down for a good time and a bit of fun, well guess what? I don't think this is funny at all, this is the most irresponsible and stupid thing I've ever done, but hey? As long as you can tick it off your bucket list, right?"

The shock of the morning was finally wearing off, quickly developing into anger and Beca couldn't stop the words form leaving her mouth. They had an audience watching their encounter now, but she didn't care, Beca wasn't letting Stacie just laugh this off.

A marriage wasn't something anyone could just laugh off.

"Beca, chill, OK?"

"Chill?" Beca trailed off, taking a deep breath and rubbing her fingers into her temples in an attempt to get a handle on her emotions right now.

"It's not legally binding; we're not actually married" Stacie rushed out.

A silence fell over them as Beca took in this new information, a sense of relief sinking in.

"We're not?" she asked, desperate for confirmation.

"No, we're not."

"Thank God" Beca blurted out, running a hand through her hair and nervously glancing around at the other drinkers still watching them.

"Thanks, Beca, you really know how to make a girl feel special" Stacie sighed, bringing the glass to her lips.

"Look, Stacie, I didn't mean-"

"No, Beca, I know what you meant, it's fine."

In all honesty, it was fine. Stacie was more than aware she never had a shot when it came to Beca – especially with Chloe in the picture - but hearing Beca sound so relieved wasn't exactly boosting her ego right now.

"No, I'm sorry, that wasn't cool of me to say…" Beca spoke hesitantly, nervously twisting at the other ring on her thumb. "…I don't know if your jokes and you flirting with me these past couple of years has been a real thing or whatever, but I shouldn't have been so harsh about it."

Stacie turned in her seat slightly, waiting for Beca's eyes to meet hers, "You know I flirt with everyone, right?" she asked with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Yeah, but I just thought, well, I guess I don't know what I thought" Beca laughed nervously, dropping her hands into her lap.

"You're hot, Becs, really hot and you can't blame me for wanting to tap that…" Stacie's eyes swept over the shorter woman's body, "…but it's never been anything more than that – besides I'm sure Chloe would have a hissy fit if it was" she added with a knowing smile.

Beca's body visibly tensed at that, Stacie's words sparking up a memory from the night before. She remembers sitting on the bed in their hotel room, the warmth of Chloe's hand in hers, but it felt different.

There was a conversation occurring between them, a heavy and emotional fuelled one. Beca can remember the comfort Chloe's hand had caused in that moment, but she couldn't remember the topic.

"Beca?"

Stacie was pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, I just had a thought or memory or whatever…" she mumbled out, no longer paying attention to where she was or what she was doing, still racking her mind for more information.

"I got to go, but…" Beca was slowly sliding the ring off her finger and placing it on the glass bar top, "…I think maybe you should keep this?"

Stacie smiled, before removing her own ring and setting it down besides Beca's, "Sure you don't want to keep it, you know whenever you want to reminisce about that time you almost tamed the hunter?" she teased, the laughter threatening to break out.

"No offence, but I think I'm good" Beca smirked, pushing both of the rings away with a chuckle.

"Sorry I yelled" she added as an afterthought.

"Don't worry about it…" Stacie calmed, "…Sorry I talked you into getting married."

Beca laughed at that, suddenly realising she couldn't have possibly gotten married to Stacie without any persuasion.

"Have you spoken to Chloe this morning?" Stacie asked nervously.

"You mean apart from scaring her awake with a death grip on her fingers?" Beca cringed at the memory.

"Wait, you thought you married Chloe, didn't you?" the brunette squealed, excitedly slapping her friend's arm.

Beca just shrugged with the shake of her head.

"No wonder you were pissed when you found out it was me" Stacie laughed smugly, her hand returning to her glass.

"I didn't even feel alarmed" Beca admitted, before blowing the air from her cheeks. "That's not normal, is it?" she worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she dared a glance at the woman beside her.

"Maybe not, Becs, but you and Chloe have never really been normal" she shrugged.

"I think we talked last night and we might have said some _stuff_ , but I can't remember."

Beca's voice was quiet and timid. She furrowed her eyebrows together, trying to recall their conversation last night.

"So say it again, today, like, right now!" Stacie demanded with a tight grip on her forearm.

"I can't just-"

"Beca, you and Chloe have been dancing around your feelings for years. This is your chance; we're graduating, we won Worlds, now is the perfect time."

"I don't know, it's not as easy as that."

"You know the regret you felt when you thought we had actually gotten married last night?"

Beca nodded guiltily.

"Well imagine that regret times a thousand in the next couple of months when you realise you should have told Chloe how you really feel."

 **XXX**

 **A/N – OK, so this prompt is seriously getting out of hand. I kind of had the story thought out before I started it but I'm beginning to see that I can't just squeeze all of it into one (now two) chapters.**

 **So if you're feeling this update, there will be a part three happening sometime soon, if not, just, um, skip over it? D:**


	53. 53 - Regrets in Vegas P3

**Regrets in Vegas (Part 3)**

 _Chloe remembers the salty taste of her tears and the countless paranoid head turns she made towards the door. If the Bella's saw her like this; it would require an explanation. If Beca saw her like this, well, Chloe wasn't sure what she would do._

 _Getting back to the hotel was a little blurry but she recalls sitting next to Stacie, who remained silent and kept her attention on the window of their cab. The atmosphere between them wasn't so much an awkward atmosphere as it was a worried one – perhaps Stacie had taken Chloe's feelings into account after all._

 _The Bella's had returned to the hotel and dispersed on the corridor of their floor. Chloe had watched Beca fumble with the key card for too long, before finally intervening without saying a word. The DJ had slurred a quiet thanks and followed her best friend into the room, her hands resting on Chloe's hips in an attempt to remain upright and balanced._

 _Chloe was feeling conflicting emotions; as much as she wanted to bring her hands to rest on Beca's and take them in her own, the hurt from the evening was still present. Beca hadn't even noticed the redhead's change in behaviour and Chloe was sure that was more upsetting._

 _Eventually, Beca detached her hands but not before pulling Chloe into a quick hug. The action wasn't all that out of character for a drunk Beca Mitchell, but it still managed to catch Chloe off guard. Before the redhead even had time to melt into the touch, Beca was disappearing into the bathroom with a pair of pyjamas tucked under her arm and a bottle of water from the mini fridge._

 _Chloe let out a deep breath once the bathroom door was shut and took the as opportunity to get undressed and hopefully fall asleep before Beca was out. She slipped under the sheets, with her back to the bathroom as she listened to Beca's drunken stumbles and occasional cusses with her eyes squeezed close. The redhead knew she should offer to help or supervise like she had done so many times before but she didn't feel like performing her best friend duty right now._

 _Not after tonight._

 _The light from the bathroom was illuminating the dark room and Chloe could hear Beca's slow but clumsily footsteps along the carpet until they stopped abruptly behind her. There was a coldness as she felt the corner of the duvet from her side of the bed being pulled back and Beca was situating herself behind her, gently pushing Chloe further to the centre of the bed and letting her arm fall lazily around her waist._

 _On most drunken nights, this was by far Chloe's favourite moment of them all. After a few too many drinks, it seemed Beca shared the same cuddling habits as she did and it made Chloe's heart soar. Cuddling was their thing and it always had been, but there was something about the way Beca's movements grew both bolder and delicate all at the same time once she was drunk._

 _The reminiscent of it all caused her to relax into the body behind her._

" _You're mad at me" Beca whispered into Chloe's shoulder._

" _You're drunk."_

 _Chloe felt the curve of Beca's smile against her skin before her breath was ghosting her shoulder again, "Maybe, but I still know when you're annoyed."_

 _The hand that was once hanging lazily over Chloe's stomach was now lightly pulling at her pyjama top and it was distracting._

" _It's like your smile doesn't reach your eyes when your either sad or mad, so which is it?" Beca added, stilling her hand and pulling Chloe's body closer to her own._

" _Beca, just go to sleep" she whispered, trying to ignore the newfound soberness in the other woman's voice._

" _Chlo."_

 _She could hear the warning in Beca's tone and before she even granted her voice permission, she was speaking._

" _Both."_

 _There was a rustling behind her and Chloe could feel Beca move away slightly. Before she had a chance to question the movement, Beca was gently pulling her shoulder and positioning Chloe to lay on her back._

" _Why?" Beca's hand was tucked under her cheek as she rested her weight on her elbow. "Can I help?" she asked worriedly, her eyes looking down at the redhead intently._

" _Why did you marry Stacie and not me?"_

 **XXX**

Beca pressed the button for her floor and leaned against the mirrored wall of the elevator. She let out a deep breath reflecting on how differently she felt now compared to the worried frenzy she had become on the way down the bar.

Beca rubbed at the now empty ring finger on her hand, failing to prevent a small chuckle as she pictured herself completely losing her mind this morning at last night's events.

"We'll laugh about this someday!"

Stacie had called from her bar stool as Beca made her way out of the bar. Beca wasn't sure it would take her this little time to do exactly that.

But then she remembered Chloe's face earlier this morning and the more she thought about it, the more she was convinced Chloe was on the verge of tears before she rushed out of their room.

Beca's smile drooped; Stacie was right, she needed to tell Chloe how she felt.

There had been many wasted hours spent thinking and overanalysing Chloe's words and actions for the last couple of years at college, but to think perhaps the redhead might have been upset about her and Stacie's ridiculous idea from the night before sparked a little hope inside of her.

The noise of the bell dinging her floor pulled Beca out of her thoughts, as she hesitantly made her way down the corridor and to the familiar door of her room. Once she reached it, Beca stood still, key card in hand for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts.

It was about time Chloe knew the truth about Beca's feelings; it was now or never, or else she'd end up regretting it just as much as Stacie had said downstairs. The brunette took a deep breath, as she hovered the card over the lock and waited for the bleeping signal.

She really hoped Fat Amy had gone back to her own room, or else Beca might lose her nerve.

Once walking through the door, Beca made her way further into the room, one baby step at a time. The sound of the running shower caused Beca's body to relax a little, as she face-planted Chloe's side of the bed. The duvet was pulled back and the sheets still unmade, as the familiar scent of her best friend engulfed her, helping to relax Beca even further.

It was then she remembered crawling into this very side of the bed last night and hanging her arm loosely over Chloe whilst cuddling in closer. Beca whipped her head off the bed, as she tried for more details of her memory, but came up empty. She sat up defeated, just as Chloe was making her way out of the bathroom.

"Hey" Beca smiled shyly.

"Hey."

Despite the fact her best friend had just gotten out of the shower, Beca could tell Chloe had been crying. The thought of her favourite person crying always had a lasting effect on her, as she fought the urge of protectiveness that was currently stirring inside of her.

But then Beca was knitting her eyebrows together, slowly coming to realisation that perhaps she was the reason for Chloe's tears. That's when she was standing up and taking the other woman's hand into her own, "Can we talk?"

"Can't it wait?" Chloe replied, letting go of Beca's hand and walking away from the bed in favour of sitting on the sofa Beca had previously woken up on.

"No, it's about last night and-"

"Becs, I'm sure Stacie would be a much better person to talk to about this" she deadpanned.

"No, I already talked to her. What I want to talk about only involves you and me and it has for a while."

Chloe was getting to her feet, throwing her bag over her shoulder and making her way to the door, "It'll have to wait; I'm going to meet Ashley and Jessica in the lobby and grab something to-"

"We spoke about something late last night, didn't we? Something important, something we've wanted to say to each for years?" Beca blurted out, letting her impatience get the best of her.

Chloe sat back down in her seat, letting the strap of her bag slip down her shoulder as she trained her eyes on the carpet.

Beca took Chloe's silence as an opportunity to explain further and finally confess her feelings, "I don't really remember exactly how it went, but I remember holding your hand and I remember feeling… something?"

Above all that happened last night - whether she noticed it straight away or not - but before the ring revelation, Beca couldn't deny she had woken up feeling lighter. A sudden feeling that a weight had been lifted and she finally felt free to be happy with whatever she wanted.

Beca couldn't deny right now, the thing she wanted most in this world was Chloe.

As she searched Chloe's face for a reaction, she bunched her hand in the sheet impatiently, knowing it was best to let the redhead sieve through her thoughts before Beca pushed for more. The fabric of the bed linen itched under her thumb as she anxiously rubbed it over the material.

She paused, her eyes growing wide, suddenly remembering her thumb do that same movement last night, whilst she, god, did she really…

"We kissed last night!" Beca yelled, causing Chloe's eyes to snap up from the ground and onto hers.

"We totally kissed, like actually kissed, lips on lips, for longer than a second last night!" Beca shouted even louder, the shock quickly developing into happiness, as she felt the butterflies swirl in her stomach remembering the way Chloe had taken her hand in hers and then shortly after dragged those very hands up and down her thighs.

The redhead was awkwardly running her shoes along the carpet and the uncharacteristic movement sent Beca into blind panic.

Maybe she was misremembering after all?

Or Chloe was drunk?

 _Oh, God, please don't say this was another crazy drunk sex dream…._

"I didn't think you would remember" Chloe said quietly, simultaneously soothing and raging Beca's panic even more.

"Is this why you were crying earlier?" Beca asked, fidgeting with the draw string on her hoodie.

"I thought it was all a drunken mistake for you and well with the whole Stacie marriage thing…" Chloe trailed off with a sigh, "I just thought you had better things to worry about today" she shrugged.

Beca was walking over to the couch and sitting in the cushion next to Chloe.

"You know it wasn't legally binding, right? "Beca asked, holding up her left hand for a second, "That's partly why we kissed, wasn't it?" she asked, trying to remember more from the night before.

"No, I didn't know that."

"So this means we can totally elope now" Beca announced. The shock on Chloe's face caused the laughter she was attempting to hold in to slip out.

"I'm joking, Chlo" she reassured with a smirk.

The redhead shoved her shoulder, with the roll of her eyes and the trace of a smile in her lips.

"You really meant everything last night?"

"Every single word…" Beca nodded honestly, "…even if I don't remember them all" she added with a small smile.

If Beca was speaking truthfully, she wished she could remember every word, both hers and Chloe's, but at the moment that wasn't looking likely.

"Well, you said you loved me" Chloe beamed, the shyness and nervousness from a moment ago completely vanishing, as the usual playful and upbeat cheeriness was back in her voice.

Beca smiled, "And I'll say it again" Beca counted, leaning closer towards her.

Chloe was moving nearing too, looking as if she fully intended on meeting her in the middle, until Chloe's phone began blaring from the bag still resting on the redhead's arm. Beca dropped her head to the other woman's shoulder with a groan, causing her to giggle at the DJ's frustration.

"What is it with Fat Amy disrupting our little moments?" Chloe asked with a grin, holding the phone up and allowing Beca to see the caller ID.

 **XXX**

 _Beca sat upright the minute Chloe asked the question. She looked more confused than concerned now and it caused Chloe to turn around quickly in hopes Beca would just forget she mentioned anything. She was bringing her knees up to her chest just as Beca's arm was back around her waist and her face nestled into her shoulder again._

" _Is that what's upset you?" Beca whispered, unsure._

 _Chloe just nodded, feeling the tears beginning to form in her eyes again. Admitting she wanted to marry Beca drunk in Vegas felt childish and silly, but judging by her best friend's reaction, Beca was doing nothing other than taking her seriously._

 _An hour ago at the most, Chloe was more hurt and annoyed by the fact that Beca hadn't noticed her change of emotions and made no effort to find out what was wrong, but now – Beca spooning into her and asking her exactly that almost made Chloe forgive her immediately._

" _I'm sorry, I didn't know."_

 _Beca was so close; so close to communicating the right words and now…_

" _I wish you would have asked me instead" Beca mumbled into her neck quietly. The vibration of her voice tickled Chloe's skin and instantly made her inch away, before shyly turning over._

" _You do?"_

" _Yeah, I wish I could say Stacie had to do some serious persuading, but really she only had to ask one or twice, I think" Beca finished her sentence in a higher register, clearly trying to get a hold on the memories lost in her drunken haze._

 _If they were in another situation, Chloe would have laughed._

" _But, if you would have asked, Chlo? Well, I'm pretty sure I would yes a million times."_

 _Beca was tilting her head to the side with her signature smirk, but due to the alcohol, it was a little wonky and toothier than usual. Chloe felt the corners of her mouth turn upwards at the sight in front of her, but instead sat up, trying to prevent it from stretching into a smile._

 _It seemed the thing Chloe had wanted to hear the most from Beca these past few years was finally spilling from her lips. Her insides should be on fire; her whole body should be jumping for joy – but instead there was a sense of doubt looming in the back of her mind._

 _Beca was drunk._

 _She was drunk enough to marry Stacie._

 _Beca would flinch whenever the other Bella reached out to touch her or turn bright red the second Stacie so much as uttered a suggestive comment. The DJ had even admitted sometimes their exchanges made her feel a little uncomfortable and she was unsure of how to deal with it._

 _So, perhaps the alcohol was clouding her judgement on this too._

" _Beca, I don't think right now is the perfect time for this conversation."_

 _The look on Beca's face made it clear she knew Chloe was referring to the alcohol and the party atmosphere they had both divulged in earlier in the night._

" _No, actually it's the perfect time. If me marrying Stacie has made you this upset then surely I know you feel the same way about me, right? That we are more than just 'best friends'? That I've been in love with you for so long I can't even tell you when it happened?"_

 _Beca had sat up and moved to sit further down the bed and positioned herself in front of Chloe halfway through her sentence. The redhead hadn't even noticed the way Beca was holding her hand and running the pad of her thumb over the back of her hand._

 _Chloe was so shocked by the boldness and outright honesty of Beca's confession, she couldn't even speak. A couple of seconds that felt like long antagonising minutes passed as she focused on the way Beca's thumb felt against her skin._

" _Unless you don't…" Beca trailed off, leaving her sentence unfinished. She awkwardly pulled her hand away and began moving to the cold side of the bed, but Chloe's hand was reaching for hers again._

" _You're not just drunk?" Chloe asked nervously, tightly squeezing the brunette's hand with a worried smile._

" _This is the soberest I've felt all night" Beca promised shuffling back closer as Chloe's knee peeking out of the duvet knocked hers._

 _There was a beat of silence, as both of them just looked at each other. Beca pulled her knees from under herself and straightening them back out on the bed, as she let a smile take over her face._

 _Beca's smile was the only push Chloe needed to speak the next words on the tip of her tongue. She bit the inside of her cheek, before releasing it and finally let the corners of her lips turn upwards, "I love you more than just a 'best friend' should."_

 _Beca was pulling her fingers out from in between Chloe's as she edged even closer, the hand now resting on her bare knee. She could feel the cool imprint of Beca's new ring on her skin, but Chloe no longer cared as her attention was completely locked on the other woman's lips. Beca was leaning in, slowly but surely, her eyes flickering from the blues staring into hers and the tongue that wet Chloe's lips._

 _Just short of a millimetre of their lips meeting, Beca stilled, almost daring Chloe to close the distance. The anticipation and need of wanting those very lips on her own seemed to cloud her mind, as Chloe was surging forward and fusing their mouths together._

 _Chloe's hands were resting on Beca's thighs, as the brunette's right hand settled on her shoulder, her thumb running teasingly up and down her neck; the touch was enough to make Chloe shiver. She was seconds from grabbing Beca's waist and pulling on top of her when there was a pounding on their door and Fat Amy's booming slurs seeped through the door._

" _Chloe! Beca! Open up, Legacy is throwing up in our bathroom right now and I can't take it anymore!"_

 **XXX**

 **A/N:** **This was so long and random and is now actually finished.**

 **Thank you for prompting and sorry for changing it.**


	54. 54 - The Life Guard

**Prompt: "Bechloe first encounter at the beach."**

 **The Life Guard**

"Fucking sand" Beca cursed through gritted teeth, frustrated by the offending grains constantly landing on her towel.

Beca wasn't a beach person.

The bright hot sun was never kind on her skin and the thick layer of sunblock covering her it just made the sand situation ten times worst.

"C'mon, Becs, the fresh air will do you some good. Besides, your laptop will still be here when you get back."

Beca remembered Jesse words as he mumbled them smugly whilst leaning on the door frame of her bedroom. After moving to LA together from their small town on the outskirts of Atlanta, Jesse and Beca had managed to secure an apartment and paid jobs in their chosen fields – Beca at a recording studio and Jesse at a movie production company.

Albeit not their most desired positions, but at least they both had their feet in the correct doors, right?

After countless sleepless nights and crammed days-off dedicated to making just the right mix to finish her demo, Jesse had barged into her room of their shared apartment and somehow convinced her to brace the outdoors and venture along to the beach.

That was when Beca first saw her.

The lady in red… OK, so that wasn't an intentional song reference, but Beca wouldn't particularly object to the lifeguard dancing with her "cheek to cheek."

Beca rolled her eyes at her own thought, before standing up to shake off her towel for what felt like the millionth time that afternoon.

The beach wasn't exactly the most practical place to sit and read a book, but Beca's sure she wasn't really fooling anybody as her eyes danced over the words without much concentration and found themselves wandering to the lifeguard station on their own accord.

"You know, you could go and talk to her?" Jesse nudged her arm as she threw herself down on the once again sand infested towel.

"Yeah and you could stop talking but sometimes we don't all get what we want" she huffed out, reopening the book beside her.

"Touché.'

It had been almost a week since Beca and Jesse's first trip to the beach and now she had been joining her best friend down here every day since, just on the off chance that she would finally gather up enough courage to strike up conversation with the most beautiful person Beca had ever seen, ever.

OK, so maybe she was getting a little carried away and allowing this little crush to completely consume her, but whatever.

"All I'm saying is you're not going to find out her name sitting over here, Becs."

This wasn't the first time Jesse had offered his motivational but mostly unwanted words of encouragement.

"Jesse, go catch a Frisbee or grab an ice cream or something."

 _He was right._

 _God damn it, Jesse was usually always right when it came to this kind of stuff._

Beca returned her attention – well half of it – back to her book and let out a sigh. A couple of minutes passed before Beca was marking her page and trudging slowly through the sand. The grains were hot on the soles of her feet and found their way in between her toes, but she plunged on, watching the lifeguard station get closer with each step.

Before she knew it, Beca was standing by the high raised chair, squinting her eyes from the sun as she looked up to the redhead sat down. The other woman hadn't noticed her yet and it was only a matter of time before she did. Beca attempted to speak, but her voice had somehow disappeared and all her train of thought vanishing with it.

"Everything alright?"

Beca was snapping her head back to the blonde on ground level and frantically nodding her head, "Yeah, all good in the hood" she drawled out, instantly berating herself for her chosen words.

The blonde gave her a tight smile before almost pushing past her and calling up to the woman in the red bathing suit.

"Hey, Chlo, you can go for your break now."

Beca wasn't really sure how she ended up sitting back on her towel after that, but she left spluttering something about looking for the food shack (even though neither the blonde or "Chlo" asked) and was now mentally kicking herself for not seizing her golden opportunity.

But she knew her name now, that was something, wasn't it?

Chlo had to be short for Chloe, Beca thought, whilst gather up her things.

 _She kind of looks like a Chloe._

 **XXX**

Over the next few days, Beca returned to the beach with her book – the same page still folded over at the top – and replayed their almost interaction on loop.

There really had been much progress made since then, but Beca had maintained eye contact and even shared a smile with the woman she was obviously "crushing on" (Jesse's words) and daydreamed about what could have happened if she had been able to speak to her when she had the chance.

"You coming in?" Jesse asked, gesturing to the sea behind him as he stood in front of Beca with a smile.

"I think you already know the answer, Jess."

"Come on, the sea can't annoy you as much as the sand does" he teased, kicking some of said sand onto her towel.

Jesse was more than aware of Beca's disliking towards a deep body of water. Ever since their first swimming lesson when they were younger, the brunette had sworn off swimming after a particular unfortunate mishap in the deeper end of the pool.

"Nah, I'm good."

"Look at it this way, if you relive your drowning incident from first grade, Chloe will come and save you. Then you'll have no choice but to talk to her" he smirked, crouching down to brush the sand off Beca's shin.

"Ha-ha, very funny" she mumbled.

"You and Chloe could get wet together" he added, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively before bursting into a fit of laughter at his best friend's horrified expression.

"Oh my god" Beca stuttered out, pulling the headphones from her bag and flashing him her middle finger.

"Fine, suit yourself!" he yelled before making his way to the ocean.

This whole thing was ridiculous and Beca knew it. Spending every free hour of the day she had to lounge on a beach and watch the lifeguard was borderline stalker behaviour. Eventually she allowed herself to get lost in the music filtering out from her headphones and finally started to register the words she was reading.

Six pages and even more songs later, Beca was well and truly engrossed in the pages of her book when a dripping figure was dropping down on the towel next to her. A couple of seconds passed until she was unable to ignore the cold droplets of water falling onto her knee.

"Jesse, please could you dry off somewhere else" Beca snapped, spinning around to the person beside her.

"Hi."

Beca froze, the coldness of the water against her leg was forgotten and the music of her latest mix faded out into nothing as her eyes stared into the bright blue ones next to her. The eyes that did not belong to her childhood best friend, Jesse.

"Hey" she choked out, closing her book and pushing the headphones off her ears, letting them fall into the golden sand.

"What you reading?" Chloe asked with an upbeat cheeriness, as her hands retrieved Beca's abandoned headphones and placed them on her own ears without so much as a second thought.

Before Beca could pull her eyes away from Chloe's sun kissed legs, or answer her question, the life guard was speaking again, "Nice song" she shouted over the music and gesturing to the headset.

"Um, yeah."

Why did she sound so pathetic and why were her eyes obviously lingering on parts of Chloe's body that they probably shouldn't?

"So, you come here a lot?" Chloe asked, setting the headphones back down on Beca's towel.

"No" Beca lied, unable to get a handle on her own thoughts.

"I saw you here yesterday and the day before that…" Chloe smirked, "…and Sunday and then last Friday, and the day before th-"

"Yeah, I come here a lot" Beca interrupted with a blush.

Chloe laughed, maintaining eye contact, which Beca is sure anyone would call intense.

"So, seen as you come here a lot and stuff, I was just wondering if you could do my back?" she asked, magically pulling a bottle of sunscreen from behind her.

If Beca was blushing before, she was sure her cheeks were an even redder shade of Chloe's bathing suit, "I-well-I…" she was nervously pulling the corner of her book as her eyes scanned the rest of the beach, almost certain this was some sort of prank, or dream. Yeah, that must be it, she's totally fallen asleep and her imagination is currently subconsciously running riot.

"I usually ask my friend Aubrey, but she's kind of preoccupied with throwing her guts up right now."

"Oh, is she sick or…?"

 _Great distraction, Beca._

"No, she just has this stress vomit thing…" Chloe replied, before thrusting the bottle into Beca's hands, "…but enough about that" she smiled, rubbing her back dry with a towel.

Before Beca had a chance to kindly decline or think of an excuse, Chloe was laying on her stomach beside her.

Her eyes immediately traced Chloe's bare skin, and drifted to the fabric of the backless one piece at the small of her back. Beca quickly stiffened as the other woman pointed a finger to the top of her shoulders with a teasing, "Whenever you're ready."

As if those words suddenly sprung Beca into motion, she was popping the cap and squeezing a blob of the cream into her hand, before rubbing it into her other palm nervously.

She was shamelessly stalling right now, but Beca really just needed a minute.

She took a deep breath; carefully sitting on her knees; before letting her fingers sink into the skin she had fantasied one too many times about touching lately.

 _OK, so that thought really wasn't helping right now._

Her delicate and hesitant touches grew more confident and Beca was gently rubbing the sunscreen into Chloe's shoulders with precise movement as she tried to apply the correct amount of pressure. The pressure that said "I'm not uncomfortable but I haven't thought about touching you before."

Shaking away the awkwardness, Beca tried to clear her head.

Beca wasn't exactly sure how long she had been applying sunscreen to Chloe's very naked and non-surprisingly soft skin until the life guard was abruptly sitting up and closing the cap of the discarded bottle.

"Thanks" she smiled, watching as the brunette awkwardly wiped her hands on her denim shorts with a wonky smile.

"I'm Chloe."

"I kn-I'm Beca."

Beca turned her attention to the corner of her towel furthest away from Chloe as she rolled her eyes at her almost slip-up.

"So, do you usually ask strangers to touch your body?"

 _OK, actual slip-up. That was a complete and utter blunder._

"I mean…" she rushed out, unsure how to save herself the embarrassment.

But Chloe was laughing. The kind of laugh that was whole hearted and genuine and Beca couldn't help but get lost in it's beautiful medley.

"No, not all strangers, just the ones that pretend to read whilst checking me out" Chloe retorted with a grin once she had sobered.

"I knew I should have worn sunglasses" Beca thought aloud, bringing her knees up to her chin.

And there was that laugh again.

It actually made Beca smile and feel reassured.

"Maybe, or you could have come and spoke to me?" Chloe asked with a wink.

"Wow, you sound like my friend Jesse" she sighed, letting out a laugh of her own.

"So, should I do your back now or are you going to ask me out?"

Beca buried her head in her knees as she attempted to keep the blush from returning to her cheeks. This was _so_ not how she imagined today going. It was supposed to involve very little reading and more pining, but she wasn't exactly complaining about the unexpected fold of events.

"I don't know, do you want to maybe, like only if you're up for it, grab a drink sometime?"

"Sure" Chloe hurriedly replied with a small smile, keeping her eyes fixed on Beca's for a moment.

"And then maybe after you can do my back?" Beca asked, failing to suppress the sudden new confidence dripping from her lips.

"Well I guess it is only fair" Chloe dragged out with a shrug.

 _Holy shit, today was becoming something else._

 **XXX**

 **A/N: My chapter names are growing more and more simple by the update. I was actually going to just call this "Fucking Sand" for fun but decided on stating the obvious instead…**

 **Just a quick thanks for the reviews and follows and faves lately – I know I haven't mentioned it for a while and I'd hate to think you guys thought I was becoming ungrateful.**


	55. 55 - Holding Hands

**DISCLAIMER:** **I DO NOT OWN PITCH PERFECT OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. ALL MISTAKES ARE THOSE OF MY OWN.**

 **Holding Hands**

Beca remembers when Chloe would rub soft circles in the palm of her hand; slow and comforting circles that made her feel grounded and safe.

Beca's fingers had been moving in a circular motion on Chloe's hand currently resting against the bed for hours, but now she was clutching it tightly in her grasp; scared and unsure. She had wanted to make Chloe feel grounded and safe just like she had always done for her, but she was losing hope.

The monitor beeped and despite the dimmed light of the room, Beca felt as if she was lost in black thick darkness.

After hours of sitting on the edge of her chair, Beca finally moved it closer and allowed herself to sit more comfortably.

But she didn't feel any comfort; just numbness.

Her eyes scanned the room; landing on the blinds at the window, to the sandwich Aubrey had brought her earlier and then back to Chloe's hand.

She couldn't eat at a time like this – Beca couldn't function at all; not without Chloe.

 **XXX**

"How's she doing?" Emily asked cautiously, unable to look Aubrey in the eye for longer than a few seconds, before shuffling them to the ground or on the liquid turning cold in the plastic cup in her hands.

"Chloe or Beca?"

Aubrey sat up from the chair in the hospital waiting room, letting her face rest in her hands for a moment as she let out a long and desperate sigh.

"Both."

"No changes" Aubrey mumbled with the shake of her head. "Just the same" she added sadly.

Emily nodded, before taking a sip of the coffee, the coolness of it tasting unpleasant. She didn't even want to drink it anymore, but she needed something to busy her hands and stop the thoughts swirling her mind. She let out a sigh of her own, before setting the cup atop of the pile of magazines on the table in front of her.

"I don't know what to do" Emily confessed, pulling nervously at her fingers.

"None of us do, sweetie" Aubrey smiled weakly, finally lifting her head.

Aubrey was usually someone to depend on in desperate times like these; someone who was able to say and do the right things that reassured everyone, but right now, she had nothing.

Hope was wearing thin.

Positivity was dwindling.

She was beginning to get the same look of helplessness that Beca had been wearing the last couple of days.

"Do you think we should go in?" Emily gestured to the closed door beside them.

Aubrey shook her head.

"…Or maybe we could get something to eat?"

Emily was reaching for the cup again, squeezing it in her hands for a second and then releasing it as she watched the contents rise and fall.

"I don't know anymore" the former Bella captain sniffled. "I have no idea what any of us are supposed to do" she admitted with a shrug, lifting her hands in the air and allowing them to slap her thighs on their way down.

The sound seemed deafening in the eerily quietness they had all been living in since it happened. So much so, it startled her and Emily squeezed the plastic cup too hard and the coffee splashed onto her hand.

"Let's get some fresh air?"

Emily nodded with a soft smile, wiping the wetness with a tissue and offering her dry hand out as she stood.

Aubrey took it, giving it a small squeeze before getting to her feet. They both flashed a lingering stare to the closed door and began walking away from it.

 **XXX**

Beca always had a tendency to void herself of her emotions. Any type of hurt and upset was still felt, but she had come accustom to burying it deep and expertly shrugging out of its hold.

But she can't quite recall the last time she had done that.

Before Chloe was even a permeant fixture in Beca's life, the redhead had seemed to open up all of Beca's feelings and emotions.

Happiness would overtake her whenever Chloe came over uninvited or snuggled into her side.

Desire ran through her whenever they held hands or kissed; a desire to wrap her hand around the warmth of Chloe's, or swipe her tongue along Chloe's lips to deepen the kiss.

Contentment rushed through her bones when Chloe had said she would never hurt or leave her.

Fear; when Beca first confessed she might love her best friend in a less platonic way then she should and the sense of joy and excitement that followed when Chloe said she felt the same.

There was a part of Beca that was suddenly wishing Chloe had never opened her heart to these feelings and a twinge of anger rose for allowing herself to feel so many of those emotions over the last year, because Beca is sure if she hadn't, this feeling of agony and panic wouldn't be so overwhelming right now.

Beca wiped away her tears and took a deep but shaky breath. She squeezed her eyes shut with a quiet sniffle before opening them again and letting them land on Chloe's face.

It was blank and it was then Beca realised she had never seen it look so emotionless before. There was always a trace of a smile on those lips that were now just a thin line.

"Somebody doesn't just fall and never wake up."

Her voice was lower than a whisper as her vocal chords contracted for the first time in days. Speaking hadn't been easy once she had rushed to the hospital. There were so many words and questions she wanted to ask when it happened, but she had lost the ability to focus on one thought and give it a voice.

So by the morning of the second day, Beca just stopped trying and only nodded when spoken to.

Wiping the back of her hand over her wet cheek, the brunette let her head rest on Chloe's palm. An image of that very hand running through her hair only caused Beca's tears to worsen before she was sobbing uncontrollably, "Wake up, Chlo. Please, wake up."

 **XXX**

Chloe's parents had arrived as fast as they could. They had been on vacation in Paris the moment their daughter had lost her footing on the stairs. It had all happened so quick it hadn't even dawned on Beca to contact them until Aubrey was shaking her by the shoulders and asking her if she'd called.

Beca hadn't thought to call anyone, apart from 911 the second it happened.

"I-I don't-I can't..." she had stuttered out, struggling to articulate words.

"OK, I'll do it. Focus on Chloe, I'll sort it all out."

Aubrey had sprung into action, calling them and the rest of the Bella's, along with Barden University administration.

After quickly arranged flights and undesired lay over times, the Beale's were finally in Atlanta and standing in the hospital waiting area. There were raised voices, loud sobs and a stream of questions, but Beca remained still beside the bed.

She felt physically glued to that chair; only leaving it three times to go to the bathroom and even then she waited until she couldn't possibly hold it any longer. Her hand was damp and clammy against Chloe's, refusing to let it touch the bed without her fingers wrapped around it.

Outside had gone quiet and then the door was opening and Beca was being shooed out of the chair and eventually out of the room completely. She held Mrs Beale's gaze for a split second, knowing she should say something, "I'm sorry" she choked out, before running off. Aubrey's voice chased her down the corridor and echoed off the walls, but Beca sprinted faster, suddenly missing the silence of Chloe's bedside.

She skipped the elevator, heading straight for the door to the stairs, but something stopped her. She let out a groan upon the impact, as her chest collided with another, the new comer letting out an _umph_ of their own.

"Beca?"

Jesse was stood before her looking confused. She finally lifted her eyes from the floor and found chocolate brown ones staring back at her.

"Becs?" he rested his hands on her shoulders and she watched his pupils dart back and forth from her own.

"I can't right now, Jesse, I just can't" she sniffed, trying to shrug herself out of his grip, but before she even had a chance, Jesse was letting his arms wrap around her and pulling her into his chest.

She fought it at first, her fists in a ball pounding at his sternum, but then she relaxed, finally letting the tears slip free as she leaned helplessly against him.

Before Aubrey or anyone else had a chance to round the corner, Jesse had suggested they get some air and she was grateful for that. He never asked if she was OK or if she wanted to talk like she thought he might, but instead offered her an easy way out.

So she nodded, finally resting her weight back on her own two feet and followed Jesse down the stairs and through the corridors until they were stood outside of the hospital. Beca's eyes automatically squinted at the bright natural light and she took three long deep breaths, welcoming the fresh air that poured into her lungs.

But then she felt herself feeling guilty for enjoying such a simple act; for almost enjoying the change of scenery from Chloe's bedside.

"Here…" Jesse said, interrupting her thoughts and pushing a protein bar into her palm, "…you need to eat."

Beca nodded as she ripped away the package, completely aware that her best friend was right.

"I'm sorry I haven't come earlier…" Jesse started, before trailing off, his face lacking it's usual grin and eyes cast to the ground.

"It's fine" Beca mumbled out honestly, because it was. She's sure if roles were reversed, Beca would have shied away from the hospital too, unsure of what to say or how to help.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

Beca just nodded again, willing her eyes not to water, "Well I just had an emotional break down in a public place and we hugged" she dragged out the last part, feigning disgust, trying her very best to lighten up conversation.

Jesse laughed, before going quiet again. There was a familiar look on his face; the one she had been seeing a lot of recently. It was a look of sympathy as they scrambled for something comforting to say, but always ended up coming up empty.

"Chloe's strong, Becs. She'll be OK."

Her fingers tightened around the paper in her hands, "I should get back."

 **XXX**

The waiting area outside Chloe's room was full when they returned.

Beca had been used to seeing at least two people there at once when she quickly nipped to the bathroom, but never were the chairs all taken. All of the Bella's were there, huddled together, talking quietly amongst themselves. Beca could hear their conversations of reminiscing from the elevator, but only because her sense of hearing had always been heighted at the mention of Chloe's name for as long as she could remember.

Once Beca had rounded the corner, she was met with silence and more of those sympathetic stares. She wanted to smile or a give them a look of reassurance, but instead offered them a wordless shrug because what was there to say, right?

Aubrey was quickly rushing over and gently pulling her to the side. Jesse patted her shoulder before dropping down in the newly empty seat.

"Are you alright?" the blonde asked, letting her hand settle on Beca's forearm for a second.

She shoved her hands into the pocket of the same jeans she'd been wearing for three days now and spoke a quiet and not yet convincing "fine." Her voice wavered more than she'd like and the smile she was trying even more to force just made her lip quiver.

"Parents still in there?" she stuttered out, thankful when Aubrey's eyes followed her finger that pointed to the closed door.

"Yeah. Hey, maybe you should go home?" Aubrey paused as soon as Beca started shaking her head, "To shower, get changed, eat a full meal."

"I don't want to leave her."

Aubrey was resuming to speak, but Beca wasn't paying her any attention now. She missed not being by her girlfriend's side and she could feel a slight tremor of panic settle in her gut as she envisioned Chloe waking up and not seeing her close-by.

"Beca, Chloe Beale will kick my ass when she wakes up and see's you like this."

"My hand feels cold" the brunette rushed out, holding out her palm.

"What?" Aubrey asked in puzzlement.

"I've been holding her hand for three days straight and now I'm not and my hand feels cold, no, no, it feels empty" she thought aloud, rubbing said body part on her hoodie.

"Beca…"

"I've spent the last two years of my life almost always touching Chloe Beale. Her hand, her leg, her foot, her finger, her shoulder…" she trailed off as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"…this last year I think I've spent half of that time just holding her hand and now I'm not" she announced, before opening the door of Chloe's room and disregarding Mr and Mrs Beale completely. Perhaps it was rude and selfish, but she stood on the opposite side of the bed and took Chloe's right hand in her own, instantly feeling a little closer.

Aubrey stood outside looking on.

"She'd want me to hold her hand" Beca finally spoke, as Chloe parent's just nodded with a small but understanding smile.

 **XXX**

It was getting late when everyone started to leave.

The Bella's had returned back to campus and Chloe's parents to their hotel for the night. Jesse had said his quiet good-bye before heading out last, leaving Beca and Aubrey alone with Chloe. The blonde had pulled an extra chair from the waiting area and positioned it at the bottom of the bed as both of them just sat in silence.

Beca still had her fingers laced with Chloe's, holding onto the thought that if she held it long enough, Chloe would be roused awake by Beca's constant touch.

Despite the clock hung beside the window, Beca wasn't entirely sure how long they had been sat there or at what point Aubrey had dozed off. She could feel her own eyes drooping, but Beca fought it, willing herself to stay conscious for Chloe.

She shuffled in her chair in an attempt to remain awake, resting her elbow on the bed.

That's when she felt it.

Chloe's hand had just squeezed hers.

It was soft and weak, but Beca was more than sure it happened.

There was a part of her that knew she should wake Aubrey or call for a nurse, but she remained in the same position with her eyes fixed on the bed, almost daring Chloe to do it again.

A few minutes passed and before she knew it, Beca had been waiting thirty minutes with no such luck. She was just giving up hope and blaming it on lack of sleep when Chloe's fingers grasped Beca's even stronger this time. It was a long squeeze and Beca was counting the seconds in her head until the grip eased off.

 _Seven seconds._

Beca was leaning forward - no longer sat in her seat but still crouched down – and whispered softly into her ear, "Chlo, it's me, Beca. Squeeze my hand again, OK? Let me know you're still here, please?"

 _But nothing._

Beca let out a disappointed sigh, feeling the hope that had just recently filled her insides instantly wash away. She pressed a delicate kiss on the redhead's jawline before settling back in her chair.

Chloe's fingers twitched and gently jerked Beca's hand. Her eyes rushed to Chloe's face, as she saw it contort slightly. Beca was on the edge of her seat again, feeling that hope relight her soul, causing a smile to settle on her lips.

Beca squeezed her hand gently, to feel Chloe do the same back.

Her face seemed more animated this time and suddenly Chloe's eyelids were flickering. Beca's other hand immediately rushed to Chloe's head as she brushed away any stray hairs. The minute Beca ran her thumb along her forehand Chloe's eyes snapped open and Beca's mouth did the same.

"Beca?"

"I'm here, Chloe, we're here."

 **XXX**

 **A/N:** **Coma stories are so clichéd, aren't they?! …**


	56. 56 - Surprise

**A/N - Almost called this update "Card" or "Envelope" because I wrote those words so damn much! So, please overlook my over uses of the words. **

**Surprise**

"I think you're forgetting this totally wasn't my fault" Jesse whined, as he watched Beca's fingers wind so tightly around the envelope that the paper audibly crinkled.

"You want a bet? You were the moron that brought it over here" Beca whisper shouted through gritted teeth.

"Yeah and you told me to!"

"And you completely overlooked the actual envelope on my desk and went into my closet, who even does that?!"

"I thought that was where it would be" Jesse defended, pulling at one of the corners with a pointed stare and a frantic wave of his other hand.

"It was literally right in front of you, dude!" Beca yelled, her hand roughly colliding with her sternum as she pulled the card out of Jesse's grasp and closer to her chest.

Beca watched Jesse's eyes widen at the doorway of the kitchen, before he snagged the envelope out of her hands and shoved it harshly into the pocket of her jacket in a hurry. Beca followed his gaze until her eyes were trained on a very curious looking Aubrey leaning against the door frame.

The pair visibly stiffened at the new comer's presence, before plastering on less than convincing wide smiles.

"S'up, Cap."

Beca cringed at her own words with the crinkle of her nose, giving Jesse a less than gentle kick to the shins when he chimed in an even more awkward, "We're not arguing."

"OK, what's going on?" Aubrey asked with a raised eyebrow. When neither Beca nor Jesse were quick to answer, Aubrey warningly folded her arms over her chest.

"Nothing."

They spluttered out in unison, taking a conscious step back from each other.

Beca threw her hands deep into her pockets in an attempt to subtly shove the envelope further inside but due to the design of her leather jacket and the length of the card, she settled on clutching it in her fingers until her knuckles whitened.

With the quick clear of her throat, the brunette offered Aubrey her usual smirk before speaking, "Shouldn't you be checking all the banners are straight or something?"

Aubrey let out a bitter laugh before making her way over to the sink Beca and Jesse were currently leaning on, "Just getting some water because planning a Birthday party alone is hard work, you know?" the blonde counted, shooing them out of her way.

Beca shook her head; of course Aubrey would play that card. After a few drinks at the end of a Bella rehearsal a couple of nights ago, Chloe had drunkenly let it slip how she was convinced Beca was planning her a surprise Birthday party. Beca was unaware how much her facial expression gave her away, but she's sure she'll never forget how Chloe's face fell ever so slightly. Truth be told, Aubrey had been planning her best friend's surprise Birthday party long before Beca was even at Barden and anytime the young DJ attempted to help, Aubrey waved her off with a shrug and a mumbled "don't even pretend you want to help."

An audible humph and a glare was the only response Beca could muster as she watched her captain bring the glass of water to her lips with a shit eating grin.

"OK, so this is a great Birthday party atmosphere" Jesse sighed out, causing both women to scowl.

"Jesse, I'm pretty sure Trebles weren't invited."

It was no secret Aubrey had a less than healthy revelry with the Treble Makers, so Beca took Aubrey's moment of distraction to pull the envelope from her jacket and slip it into the back pocket of her jeans. She let out a deep breath, relieved the envelope was now safely out of Aubrey's sight.

Before Beca could completely relax, an arm was snaking around her shoulder, "Aubrey, can we start drinking yet?" Fat Amy whined, pulling Jesse and Beca into her embrace so they were brushing shoulders, "I'm sure Chloe wouldn't mind if we started without her" she added with a grin, letting her chin rest on Jesse's shoulder.

"How many times, Amy? No drinking until we surprise Chloe, OK?" Aubrey ordered, rubbing circles into her temples in frustration.

The blonde stood up straight, gently pushing Beca and Jesse away with a sigh, "Hey, what's this?" she announced quickly, pulling at the envelope from Beca's pocket.

"Nothing!"

Fat Amy tugged the envelope away from Beca's outstretched hand and took a step back.

"Give it back" Beca pleaded weakly as she watched her fellow Bella's eyes sweep over the name written upon it. She registered the flicker of recognition and then the wide grin that spread across her lips.

"Oh my god, Beca Mitchell actually wrote a Birthday card!" Aubrey yelled as she watched the encounter in front of her.

If this was any other situation, Beca would actually be offended by Aubrey's surprise, because, yeah, of course she would get Chloe a Birthday card; she wasn't a total asshole.

"It's not for Chloe" Beca hurried out, her eyes skittering nervously towards the door, praying that very person wouldn't walk through it at this very moment.

"Well the name on the envelope begs to differ" Fat Amy argued, waving it in the air and proudly using her finger to underline Beca's scribbled handwriting as well as her point.

"Yeah, well…" Beca trailed off, before making a poor attempt to intercept it.

"Ah-ah…" Aubrey scolded, snagging the card from Fat Amy with a smirk, "Now we're going to put this with all the other cards and gifts in the living room" she added before turning to leave.

Beca didn't even protest, nor did she follow the little voice in her head that told her to tackle Aubrey to the ground and rip the envelope into as many tiny pieces as possible. Instead, she just covered her face with her hands and watched through sprawled fingers as both Bella's left the kitchen, leaving Beca and Jesse to stare at each other in fear.

"Shit" Jesse whispered, "What do we do?" he panicked.

"Apart from quit college and forget the time I proclaimed my love for Chloe Beale in her fucking Birthday card?"

 **XXX**

Beca threw herself down onto her bed and let out a sigh. The actual Birthday card she intended on giving Chloe sat on her desk like a bitter joke. The crisp envelope was leaning against her mixing board almost taunting her; how the hell did Jesse not see it?

She ran a hand through her hair before pulling her phone from her pocket. After a few seconds of staring at it, she decided texting or calling Chloe would only make things worse, so dropped it on the mattress with a groan.

Before rushing out of Chloe and Aubrey's shared apartment across campus, Beca had actually tried to secretly snag the envelope from the table of gifts in the corner of the living room, but it seemed Fat Amy had anticipated that and continued to patrol the area.

Leaving without seeing Chloe's entrance was probably the wrong thing to do but after a ten-minute wait, Beca grew restless and was no longer able to supress her desire to run back to her dorm. She envisioned her best friend's face of surprise as she walked through the door to be greeted by all of her friend's – the vision actually made Beca smile.

Aubrey had done a very good job of purposely letting little bits of 'information' slip, as well as bluffing the day of Chloe's surprise Birthday party – so much sure, Aubrey was one hundred percent certain Chloe wouldn't even be anticipating it to happen today.

Beca should be there.

She should have been one of the first people by the door, she knew that.

Her leg bounced nervously as she remembered the look of disappointment on the redhead's face just the other night. The DJ tried to convince herself Chloe wouldn't even notice she wasn't there, but not even she could make herself believe that.

Last week, whilst hyped up on Redbull and lack of sleep, Beca had been working on her Birthday mix for Chloe but things had taken an unexpected turn at around 5am. The mix that was supposed to contain a selectin of Chloe's favourite songs, other tracks and remixes Beca thought she would enjoy had developed into a symphony of emotions; deep emotions Beca was sure she would never reveal in a mixtape because come on, that was such a nineties cliché.

Instead of putting a stop to the ridiculousness, Beca had continued, secretly enjoying the way she began to feel lighter after each track. The DJ had gotten so lost in her work that eventually she had twenty songs – some of her own mixes – that explained just how much she loved her best friend. The lyrics were raw and honest and Beca had no doubt that if Chloe ever listened to this, she'd understand it's meaning completely.

In a moment of poor judgement, Beca had grabbed a pen and began scribbling her feelings into the blank Birthday card sitting on her desk before taping the USB to the corner and sealing the envelope.

She took a moment to reread her own words; they weren't perfect and nowhere near as poetic as she would have liked, but they were honest and they were hers – she was sure Chloe wouldn't want them any other way. With a soft smile, she slipped the card into the envelope and printed Chloe's name upon it before powering down her laptop and crawling into bed.

The next morning, Beca had actually laughed aloud at her actions from the night before.

There was no way Chloe would ever receive that card for her Birthday; last night was a moment of pure madness.

Beca couldn't lose Chloe's friendship; there was too much at stake.

That afternoon she had gone out and bought another card, made a different (platonic) mix and jotted down a generic, half assed Happy Birthday message before tossing the other into her closet, never to see the light of day again.

 _God, how she was wrong._

The sound of the phone chiming beside her pulled Beca from her thoughts. Whenever she saw Chloe's name light up the screen, Beca felt many things but dread was never one of them.

 **CHLOE [20:26]: Are you running late? :(**

There was unusual sense of panic and even more dread settling in the pit of her stomach but judging by her message, it was clear she hadn't opened Beca's card yet. Stilling her fingers from the anxious drumming on her thigh, Beca took a deep breath and typed out a quick reply before making her way out her room.

 _It was time to face the music, almost literally._

 **XXX**

Chloe was sat on the couch, finally glad she had a minute to herself. She took a swig of the very alcoholic drink Fat Amy had eagerly poured her and typed out a message to Beca.

Aubrey had done a rather awful job of fooling her into thinking a surprise Birthday wasn't on the cards this year because "I have so many assignments due." After a few days of resisting the urge to investigate, Chloe had finally caved and overheard her best friend discussing party arrangements for the week after her Birthday.

Chloe was so sure she'd had it all figured out, until she opened the door to her apartment and was greeted by a living room full of her friends. Her cheeks hurt from all the smiling, but she couldn't seem to push away the twinge of disappointment she felt when her eyes scanned the faces and Beca's wasn't among them.

Another sip from her glass almost caused her to break out in a coughing fit; _what the hell did Amy put in this?_

Her phone vibrated in her lap and Chloe's eyes eagerly read Beca's message.

 **BECA [20:27]: Sorry, Chlo, got held up. Be there in five. Happy Birthday!**

Chloe rolled her eyes with a smile, Beca had said happy birthday via text message at least ten times today and each one still caused her stomach to do this weird flip-flop thing.

True to her word, Beca was walking through the door and instantly making her way over to Chloe. She threw herself down on the other side of the couch, attempting to squeeze her way out of the redhead's forceful hug with a groan before relaxing.

"Happy Birthday" she mumbled quietly by the shell of Chloe's ear. Beca's genuine tone made Chloe's grin widened and suddenly Chloe was lost in the moment; like she always was when it came to Beca.

"OK, gift time!" Aubrey announced, causing Beca to pull away much too soon for Chloe's liking as she was being gently pulled from the sofa by Aubrey. She beamed one last smile at Beca before finally pulling her eyes away and focussing on the table the blonde was proudly gesturing to.

Shamelessly, Chloe searched for a tag or card labelled with Beca's handwriting and spotted the white envelope straight away. It looked crinkled and worn; a lot like Beca had forcefully shoved it into her pocket on her way over here. In fact, now Chloe came to think of it, the DJ hadn't even put it on the table when she arrived a few minutes ago. Shrugging that thought away, the redhead reached for Aubrey's gift first, purposely leaving Beca's until last.

Finally, Chloe had opened, thanked and even paused for pictures with gifts and was reaching for the one she was looking forward to the most. She could see Aubrey's smirk and watched her best friend's eyes dart from Chloe, the envelope and to a nervous looking Beca – honestly, it was quite distracting.

Just as she pulled the flap of it free, Beca was standing by her side, "Can you, maybe, open this without a crowd?" she asked awkwardly, scratching the back of her neck.

Aubrey's weird interest paired with Beca's cute wonky smile instantly caused Chloe to nod her head, "Yeah, OK."

Chloe quickly led the brunette to her bedroom, one hand in Beca's and the other gripping the card. The moment the door was closed behind them, Beca pulled out another envelope identical to the first, "Look, there was a mix up with your card, so can you just open this one?"

Beca's voice was small and awkward as Chloe studied the similarities of the paper, "What mix up?"

The other woman's hand reached out to swap them, but hesitated before she sat down on the end of the bed, "I forgot it the first time I came over here. I wrote two cards and Jesse picked up the wrong one" she shrugged.

Chloe watched Beca nervously drag the toe cap of her converse into the carpet before she sat down beside her, "You wrote two?"

"Yeah" Beca paused as though she was in deep thought before she turned to finally look at her best friend, "Look, I know it sounds weird - intriguing even - but I really want you to open this one" she added.

Chloe smiled in an attempt to calm Beca's nerves and if the slump of her shoulders was anything to go by, it had worked. The DJ smiled back before blowing the air from her cheeks. A silence fell over them before the redhead took the offered card, so she was now holding both in each hand.

"OK."

Beca ran a hand through her hair and her fingers finally stopped drumming their nervous rhythm on her knee, "Actually, you know what, open both."

"Beca, I don't really know what you want me to do right now" Chloe laughed, letting her fingers run over the crease in the paper.

"No, um… just open them, Chlo."

There was a sense of uncertainty in Beca's eyes and Chloe couldn't pinpoint exactly why it was there. One second, she was almost begging her not to open it and now…

"Are you sure?" she asked, setting them down in her lap and placing her hand on Beca's knee.

"Yeah, just don't freak out" Beca shook her head with a light chuckle that still sounded worried.

Her fingers could feel the shape of a pen drive inside both envelopes in exactly the same spot – Chloe wasn't stupid; she was well aware of what those contained but she still couldn't figure out what "the mix up" could be. It couldn't possibly be what she thought, right? Beca didn't think of her that way, did she?

The curiously was too much and Chloe was quickly opening the card Beca had just given her first, anticipating the unknown. She ripped the paper and let her eyes trace the front of the card before opening it to read the message inside.

 _Happy Birthday, Chloe._

 _I hope you have a great day,_

 _Beca x_

She looked up at Beca in confusion, "All that fuss for this?" she asked with a smile.

Beca nodded with a smile of her own as she joined in with Chloe's soft laughter, "What about this?" Chloe pulled the taped USB from the corner and waved it at Beca.

"Open the other one."

Chloe did as she was told, setting the device in the space between them as she pulled the exact same card from the envelope she had already partly opened, "OK, same card" Chloe teased with a smirk.

"Yeah, but…" Beca's voice trailed off, as Chloe let her eyes sweep over the two paragraphs of writing scribbled inside it. She ran her thumb along the same branded USB before she started to take in the words Beca had written. Her penmanship was rushed, scribbled in fact but with each word, Chloe began to realise why.

Her eyes widened, before she reread it, slower and more attentive, not allowing any letter to go unmissed. This wasn't what she was expecting, or maybe it kind of was. Chloe payed no attention to the USB anymore as she clutched the card close to her chest like it was her most prized possession because in this moment, it actually was.

Her mouth was dry and the words caught in her throat, "Beca, I…"

 **XXX**


	57. 57 - Cardio

**Cardio**

There were times when Chloe felt as though she had Beca all figured out and then there were other times; times were she had no idea what had just happened.

Chloe was sat on the end of Beca's bed in her dorm room, her eyes scanning the pages of the opened text books and note book sitting on the mattress around her. Studying at the library could be distracting at times, so on occasions she would knock on Beca's door. Much like those times, the redhead had packed up her things at the library and made her way to Beca's with her books and two cups of coffee. Like Beca had done those times before, the younger woman greeted her with a smile and welcomed her inside, before taking a sip from the paper cup.

But this time was different.

Chloe had been distracted all evening and visiting Beca had only made it worse. They got lost in conversation until Beca had raised her eyebrow and pointed at Chloe's note pad, "Are you going to actually do some studying?"

Beca's tone was playful; the light swat to her shoulder only proved that further.

"Yeah, but I can't focus, you're distracting" she grinned, letting her head flop down onto the bed with a quiet thud.

In reflection, it was probably those words that led to Chloe sitting here alone, confused and unsure.

Getting to know Beca was unlike anything Chloe had ever experienced before; it was a slow process that Chloe thought she was beginning to understand. She tread with cautious steps, careful not to stray too far from the marked path. Beca had a habit of shutting people out and Chloe was no exception, until the redhead began to understand the dance to Beca's complicated and out of synch tune.

The shift on the mattress forced Chloe to lift her head up again and look at Beca.

Beca's smirk had disappeared and was replaced by a light blush and a forced glare, "Well, just focus harder…" Beca stuttered with a tap to one of the opened textbooks, "…on the books."

Chloe always enjoyed Beca's nervous twitches and reddened cheeks; it seemed teasing Beca until she was flustered was almost a sport. Sometimes Chloe thought Beca was growing accustomed to it but as of late, the smallest action or implied sentence would make her crumble into an adorable stammering mess.

Beca was leaning back on her pillow and disappearing behind the screen of her laptop again - an obvious attempt to escape the redhead's stare - which only caused Chloe's smile to stretch wider. In one swift motion, Chloe was no longer laying on her stomach and moving to kneel in front of the woman tapping at the keys on her laptop, before she rested her chin on Beca's knee.

Beca let out a loud sigh as she closed the lid and was met with Chloe's mischievous smile, "And what if I don't?" she teased.

The quick drop of Beca's knees caused Chloe to falter slightly; too eager to hear the DJ's response. The action caused Beca to smirk, as her legs straightened out on the duvet. If Chloe was distracted before, the fact that she was now positioned in between her _hot_ -only-growing-hotter best friend's legs didn't help.

What should have been a roll of the eyes or a jumbled reply was replaced by a bold action on Beca's part; or perhaps Chloe considered it a bold one due to her developing crush. Beca was bending her knees slightly, allowing her feet to push together and move Chloe closer. Without hesitation, Chloe was shuffling even closer, shamelessly letting her eyes drag down to Beca's lips for a second too long.

It was then Beca was leaning and inching her face even closer, the mischievous grin Chloe was once wearing had disappeared and had been newly acquired onto Beca's lips.

Chloe was so engrossed in the moment and Beca's proximity, she was sure time must have stood still. Beca was still easing forward and it could have been Chloe's imagination, but she was certain Beca's eyes flickered to her own lips too.

From the corner of her eye, Chloe could see Beca's hand moving to her face, almost as if she was about to cup her cheek. Her heart was already drumming in her chest and her mind suddenly convinced itself this was the moment Beca had finally picked up on her signals.

Without any more thought, Chloe was closing the gap, no longer able to surpass her desire to know how Beca's lips tasted. Before she knew it, she had met Beca in the middle, letting her eyes slowly close the second their lips brushed together.

The kiss wasn't heated or passionate like she had imagined it. It lasted a mere four seconds, before Beca's hand was clamping down on Chloe's shoulder and pushing her away. Amidst the confusion and panic, Chloe had quickly moved further down the bed, granting Beca her space. The younger woman hadn't even looked Chloe in the eye before announcing she had to leave, rushing out of her dorm and slamming the door on her way out.

Chloe had been so sure Beca was going to kiss her, she hadn't even stopped to peruse other options. The frantic look in Beca's eyes had been playing on a never ending loop in Chloe's mind for the best part of twenty minutes. She was still sat on the bed, afraid to move in case she bumped into Beca on her walk home. The thought of being here when Beca returned set her into motion and she was quickly gathering her books and dropping them into her bag.

She wasn't even a quarter of the way through her walk across campus until the tears were stinging her eyes and trickling down her cheeks.

 _How could she have been so stupid?_ She knew Beca better than anyone at Barden, of course she wasn't going to kiss Chloe back, never mind actually _initiate it_. Her steps were growing more hurried, unable to ignore the need to get home and give outlet to her emotions in the safe space of her own bedroom.

The rest of the evening was spent crying and berating herself for getting lost in the moment. At first she felt hurt and rejected, but that quickly developed into fear; a fear that she had scared Beca away, or even worse; she had taken advantage of her. Aubrey had told her she was being ridiculous but Chloe knew Beca better than the blonde did, right?

Time went on and Beca was still yet to attend a Bella's rehearsal. At first, Chloe was worried something might have happened; other than the huge misjudged kiss situation, but Stacie had informed everyone Beca was still attending her classes.

The fear and hurt only amplified after that.

"Chlo, you need to try to forget about it and move on."

The redhead knew Aubrey was only trying to help, but it only made her feel worse. Chloe had pulled herself off the couch and retreated to her bedroom, doing everything in her power to avoid her best friend's pending advice.

A couple of nights later, Aubrey had barged into her room with a tub of ice cream and an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry" she offered with the wave of a spoon.

"For someone who hates cardio, Beca Mitchell sure does a lot of running away."

 **XXX**

 **A/N: Kermit meme: "Hey, Amy, why don't you write a really shit and uneventful one shot right now."**

" **Nah, I'm good."**

" **Do it, do it now."**

" **Ah shit, OK."**

…


	58. 58 - Can't Stop

Prompt: "Closer – Chainsmokers ft. Halsey: Beca and Chloe hooked up at a mutual friend's house party four years ago and had dated for a while but broke it off due to them coming from different worlds. Four years later, they both attend another party at a hotel and the physical attraction is still there."

 **A/N** **: So this is an extremely late update for this prompt; sorry! But I'm not over exaggerating when I say I have four different versions of it saved in separate word documents due to too pickiness/too many ideas. A quick heads-up – they are not in a hotel; I tried different scenario /reasons for them being at a hotel (hence four versions D:) and in the end I thought a party fitted better.**

 **This is definitely getting a second part to it, as I still have stuff to add but for now…**

 **Can't Stop**

Out of everyone, she was the person Beca least expected to see tonight.

Beca would be lying if she said she didn't think about her from time to time; it was the little things - whenever someone casually said "totes" in a conversation or called her Becs – Chloe Beale wasn't someone she could easily forget.

It was just another LA party and Beca's attendance was always a requirement.

"Mingle with the talent and make new friends; it's all about the people you know in this business, kid."

Looking back on the words of a former boss, that was probably the most honest and useful piece of advice she had ever been given regarding the music industry. Beca had been living in Los Angeles for just over four years now; she had made her way up a prestigious music label and was eventually promoted to a real music producer - like her own client list and big office music producer. Beca's professional life was everything she had ever wanted and more – even if that meant leaving San Diego in her broke down car and watching Chloe disappear into the distance of her rear view mirror.

Her personal life could be better though. Despite the many years of living in the city, it was hardly a surprise the DJ didn't have many friends. She had 'friends' at work (which probably explained why she had brought her assistant to the party) and they went out for drinks after work sometimes but Beca usually waved them off before disappearing with a stranger she usually always spent the night with.

Being a music producer in the city of LA gave Beca an edge she never had in San Diego and usually rubbed off on other women very much in her favor, but she didn't do it every night; no, just every so often in order to suppress her loneliness and get lost in alcohol and another body for a night.

It was strange seeing Chloe, currently standing in her world - a world she never expected her to be a part of – but it was nice. Even after four years of no contact, Chloe could still make Beca's cheeks warm and her breath catch.

"Beca, are you going to close the deal or what?"

The sharp tug on the corner of her jacket caused the liquid in one of the glasses she was holding to spill down her hand. She turned to her assistant with a quiet "huh?" as she quickly caught the drip with her tongue.

"Is he going to get his drink, or…?" Grace asked, as she pointed a finger to the man on the other side of the room.

Being Beca's assistant wasn't exactly a difficult job and its only real requirement was to ensure she had a constant supply of coffee in the office. Beca had never wanted one in the first place but according to upstairs management, having a personal assistant made Beca look good, so she ended up with Grace.

It was the first résumé on the pile that had taken up the left side of her desk for just under a month. With no desire to sieve through each one, she called the number at the top of the page. If Grace's interview was anything to by, it was apparent she liked to please people.

Beca's coffee was always hot and there when she needed it and her schedule always sat in the center of her desk each and every morning from the moment she was hired. Grace even managed to improve the music producer's time keeping ability for all appointments - in fact, as much as Beca hated to admit, Grace was a damn good assistant and it was no surprise, amidst Beca's brief distraction, the other woman was looking out for her now.

Beca cleared her throat, willing her eyes not to find Chloe again, "Yeah, I got it."

 **XXX**

Chloe was about to follow her friends out of the door until she caught glimpse of a familiar face.

The woman was sat on top of the kitchen counter, one leg resting on a stool as she took a sip of her drink. She was talking to a tall man with dark hair who seemed to paying very close attention to what she was saying. Beca had one hand resting on her knee, as she spoke with the other and that confident smirk that always turned Chloe to mush.

She had one foot on the threshold, but Chloe couldn't seem to make the final step to leave.

"Chloe, the taxi is here."

Her friend's voice was simply a drone in the background, as the redhead watched the man step forward, no longer leaning on the refrigerator, as he shook Beca's hand with a smile and the nod of his head; that's when Chloe felt it. A surge of pride spread through her body as she began to piece together what she thought was unfolding in front of her.

Beca wanted to succeed as a music producer more than anything; that was apparent throughout their time at high school together. Right now, at an upscale party in Hollywood and shaking hands with what could be a potential recording artist, Beca legitimately looked like she had become exactly that and Chloe couldn't be any prouder.

"I've changed my mind" the redhead mumbled out, not allowing her eyes to leave Beca. The bass of the song currently blaring out of the speakers dropped and as if it was meant to be, Beca was meeting her gaze. Chloe's smile was growing and her friend's reply falling on deaf ears. Beca kept her eyes fixed on Chloe for a moment, before she let them fall to the floor. She took a swig of her drink before slipping down off the counter and making her way over.

…Yeah, Chloe wasn't leaving this party any time soon.

 **XXX**

Beca had almost gone unnoticed, until she hadn't and that's probably the reason Beca ignored her. Well, perhaps not ignore but lose her nerve and walk in the opposite direction back to Grace.

She was going to go over; there was something in Chloe's eyes that made her want to run over to the door and say anything to make her stay, but Beca had panicked, realising she didn't really know _what_ to say. Four years and no contact, then factoring in their relationship and how things ended, Beca didn't think a "hey, nice to see you" was enough.

"Is he in?" Grace asked, eagerly tapping her fingers around the paper cup in her hand.

Beca flickered a glance at Chloe's now confused but hurt expression and turned her attention back to her assistant, "Yeah, he'll be in on Monday to sign the contract."

The brunette took a big gulp of her drink, trying to focus her mind on her work. At first Beca thought XY was a ridiculous name for an up-and-coming DJ but the managers of the label were convinced he was set to be the next best thing. After listening to his demo, the producer couldn't deny the talent and potential that oozed through every note, so it was no surprise other labels were attempting to horn in and swoop him up. Beca was informed not to let that happen and the "successful DJ talking to not yet signed DJ" was dubbed the best game plan to impress XY into signing the contract.

Tonight was a solid win for both Beca and the company and if Grace's beam and celebratory toast was anything to go by, they should be celebrating, but Beca couldn't get Chloe out of her head. It seemed impossible to stop her eyes from finding her ex-girlfriend's, so instead she drained the alcohol from her cup and willed herself to listen to Grace.

But a burning curiosity was stirring inside Beca's mind all the while she watched her assistant's mouth move up and down, no longer paying any attention to what was coming out of it. Why was Chloe here in LA? Did she get into school here? Was she visiting? _Who was she visiting?_

Before she was even registering what she was doing, Beca was turning to face the redhead again.

But Chloe was leaving.

 _Oh, shit, Chloe was leaving._

 **XXX**

Chloe's name was on the tip of her tongue; her lip curled to pronounce the letter but for some reason it got stuck in her throat. The redhead's name was only really spoken when Beca had drank more than a few drinks on a late night – which was more often out here in LA than it used to be – usually to the stranger from the bar on a work night.

But now saying it sober and to Chloe herself, Beca's anxiety was sky rocketing.

"Chloe."

Beca almost stuttered, instantly regretting the panic to her tone. In that moment, it was as if they were transported to four years ago and back on Chloe's paved drive way as the redhead sobbed her way through a poorly constructed goodbye. The pain and bitterness that once echoed in her name during a drunken ramble was gone and replaced with hope and almost happiness because Chloe was finally standing before her.

Chloe was pulling at the coat now sitting on her shoulders as she turned to face the caller of her name; Beca noted how it was almost a guarded and hesitant action. Once Chloe's eyes were on hers, Beca but shrugged it off with a small smile and a nervous tap on the side of her thigh.

"Hey."

 **XXX**

 **Thanks for prompting :)**


	59. Can't Stop P2

**A/N:** **I really didn't want go back and forth from past to present, as I feel I do that all too often, however, at times, I'm a huge hypocrite and go back on my own word. So this is basically a whole chapter dedicated to their past.** **¯\\_(ツ)_/¯**

 **Big thanks to Bamlover for lending an ear on this one and not telling me to shut up when I waffled on and on…**

 **Part three to follow, if you cats are cool with that…?**

 **Can't Stop – Part 2**

 _The sun was blazing through the window and radiating Beca's fingers curled around the steering wheel. The breeze of spring was whisking through the window and the sound of blink-182 seeped through the sound system, pouring around the car._

 _Beca needed to focus on the road but her eyes were fixed on Chloe in the passenger seat. The sunlight seemed to amplify the glee on her face as she danced as freely as her seatbelt would allow and sang along to every word. The redhead turned her head and shot Beca a grin before pumping her fist in the air along with the chorus._

 _The action caused a chuckle to spill from Beca's lips before she good naturedly shook her head and pried her eyes back to the road. Chloe Beale had an unusual effect on Beca; if anyone else had made her listen to same song on repeat for the last one hundred miles, Beca was sure she would have forced them out of her car without an ounce of guilt. Instead she was leaning into the kiss now being placed to her cheek and nodding at Chloe's light reminder; "eyes on the road" with a smile._

 _They were on their way to Tucson for the night. The trip was impulsive and unplanned but the idea had struck Beca just as unexpectedly as they were leaving the movies._

" _Want to go?" Beca had hummed into Chloe's ear whilst they crossed the street back to the car. Chloe and her friends had spent the previous twenty minutes reminiscing about their trip to Arizona a couple of years back with their parents. Chloe's face lit up at the mention of "Do you remember that time when…" and they had all dived into a much deeper conversation of memories and good times as Beca listened unable to contribute._

 _Chloe stopped mid-step and gave Beca's hand a squeeze, "To Tucson?" she asked. Beca nodded, taking one last look back at Chloe's laughing friends walking in the opposite direction. She winced at the sound of it, trying to convince herself their laughter wasn't at her expense, but failed._

 _It became clear soon into their relationship that Beca wasn't well liked amongst Chloe's friends and family. Perhaps 'hooking up' – not so secretly - a mere four hours after they first formally met at a party wasn't a good start but there was something in the air between them that night - and every other day and night since, actually._

" _Yeah, that sounds amazing" she beamed_

" _What about tonight, right now even?"_

" _Beca…" Chloe trailed off._

" _No, you're right. I mean you have that test and I need to perfect my demo" she shrugged._

 _Chloe reached for the door handle of the car before Beca's hand got their first. She pulled it open as Chloe leaned against the back window with her arms folded._

" _You're serious, aren't you?"_

 _Albeit serious, Beca hadn't really thought about what she was asking. It was one in the afternoon on a Sunday, she had half a tank full of gas and twelve dollars in her pocket, going to Tucson, Arizona right now was impractical and what Chloe's parents would only deem irresponsible._

 _It sounded nice though._

 _To just disappear for a night, leaving the disapproval of their relationship behind and just enjoy some alone time together._

 _Beca closed the door, before mirroring Chloe's same position against it with a thoughtful pause. She was eyeing her girlfriend's facial expression attentively as she watched a broad smirk take over._

" _Let's do it!"_

 _She wanted to dismiss the whole conversation as silly._

" _You should really study for that test" or "Your Dad will kill me" were the responses on the tip of her tongue but, god damn it, was Chloe Beale's bright smile infectious. Feelings of excitement and adventure were rushing through Beca as she contemplated the outcome of this bold decision. They would miss a day of school whilst driving back, Chloe's parents would only disapprove of her more and Beca would have to find an ATM in order to withdraw money from her 'move to LA' fund._

" _Alright!" Beca announced whilst opening the passenger door open again, "We better get going then."_

 _Just before getting into the front seat, Chloe had propelled forward, wrapping her arms around Beca's neck and pulling her in for a kiss. She could trace the smile on the redhead's lips as they expertly rolled over her own for a minute too long. Beca's hands had instinctively gripped at her girlfriend's waste, shamefully pulling her closer as she got lost in the moment._

 _Chloe pulled away with a teasing smile before dropping into the passenger seat and closing the door, leaving a half dazed Beca on the side of the road._

" _Fuck it" she mumbled to no one in particular as she walked around to the other side of the car. A night out of the city and away from the objective stares and forced (but yet clearly false) friendliness of Chloe's class mates seemed like the perfect getaway right now; she'd deal with the backlash later._

 _God knows, Chloe was more than worth it._

 **XXX**

 _Chloe remembers the moment she introduced Beca as her girlfriend to her parents. They had both took one look at her off white worn converse, black nail polish and dark eyeliner before quirking an eyebrow at their daughter. It didn't go unnoticed by Beca, who had shuffled under their gaze with her eyes trained on the floor._

 _It made Chloe nervous - after all this was the first girl she had brought home - but as the evening progressed it became clear that wasn't the reason they had instantly taken a disliking to her. Upon learning where Beca lived and her reluctance to give college a go, her parent's grew ruder and less supportive of their relationship all in the space of one dinner._

 _Beca had made a speedy exit, thanking them for their "hospitality" and giving Chloe a quick peck on the cheek in the hallway. She left in a hurried fashion but all the while with a small smile on her face for Chloe's sake._

 _Chloe had wasted no time to address her Mom and Dad's ignorance towards her sexuality but was quickly assured that simply had nothing to do with it._

" _It's just…" her Mother had trailed off, looking expectantly at her husband._

" _We love you no matter what, sweetie. It's just… Well, Beca isn't good enough for you."_

 _The fact that her Father hadn't bothered to sugar coat his statement both hurt and angered Chloe more than they knew._

" _You didn't even bother to get to know her!" she protested._

" _We already know enough…"_

 _The next day when Chloe expressed her anger and annoyance about the situation to her friends, she was horrified to find the same expression of her parent's._

" _They're right, Chlo! She doesn't try at school, her idea of moving to LA is borderline delusional and she doesn't even want to go to college" the last part was spat with a bitter laugh and condescending tone._

 _After that, Chloe stopped caring about anything her parents or friends had to say on the matter; none of them knew the first thing about Beca Mitchell and after six months it was clear they weren't willing to try._

 _Chloe opened her eyes slowly as she focused on the back of the front seat. She automatically shuffled backwards but was confused by the lack of Beca's body and the stream of daylight through the windows. Sitting up, Chloe took note of the time on the stereo and took in the new gas station surrounding through the window._

 _Beca was stood by the pump, paying close attention to the numbers flicking on the meter and nothing else. The redhead reached for the roller of the window, "Are you kidnapping me?"_

 _The sudden and unexpected shout caused Beca to jump backwards in surprise as Chloe tried to stifle her laughter. Beca maintained her glare for a full three seconds before shaking her head with a smile._

" _You have the test this afternoon, so I thought we'd set off early" she mumbled, focusing back on the pump._

" _You know, you're not half as bad ass as people think you are" Chloe teased, leaning to playfully poke the brunette's side._

 _Beca jolted upright before letting out a giggle, only helping prove Chloe's point further. She choked out a lousy "shut up" before placing the nozzle back in its holder and pecking a kiss to Chloe's lips._

 _Throughout the entirety of their relationship Beca had insisted on paying for most things; the movie tickets, the meal, gas; it was a matter she always pressed. Chloe would clutch at the credit card she always pulled from her purse in protest, until eventually Beca would pay or they would agree on splitting the cost – it was usually the latter and what Chloe much preferred._

 _Chloe never had to want for anything when growing up and always had her trusty no limit credit card in the pocket of her wallet. Her parents had successful professional lives and the money that came with it, so it was almost second nature to swipe her plastic without thinking of the value or cost._

 _But for Beca, it was different. Compared to Chloe, she came from a single parent household and lived in a much smaller house in a very different neighbourhood. At times money was tight and compromises had to be made between both Beca and her Mother._

 _At first, accepting Beca's persistent offer of "No, I'll get it" made Chloe feel guilty. Of course, Beca was kind and stubborn and mostly did it anyway but Chloe thought it was illogical; she didn't have to think about the consequences of spending that Beca might._

 _After a long winded conversation, a couple of months ago, Chloe had finally realised the reason behind Beca's insistence. It wasn't a matter of overcompensating for her unpopularity, nor was it a way to silence the constant criticism or looming disapproval. Beca_ _ **wanted**_ _to buy things for Chloe._

" _You deserve it. I want to buy it regardless because you're my girlfriend."_

 _Chloe could argue Beca's explanation was old fashioned or primitive but the way the words were spoken – plain and sincerely - made her heart swell. Falling in love with Beca wasn't something she had ever stopped to think about until after that conversation. Yeah, Chloe was falling for Beca hard and fast, regardless of riches or fortune._

 _As if already aware of Chloe's thoughts, Beca was bending down to lean on the car door, "Don't worry about the gas, I've got it covered. Ace your test this afternoon and we're even" she pushed herself off with her arms and disappeared into the store._

 _Despite Beca's lack of effort at school, she was always very supportive of Chloe and her passion for education. People outside of her friendship group didn't seem to understand that passion, deeming her a "teacher's pet" but Chloe had always found solace in fixing a maths problem or winning a school debate._

 _As a future history major at Princeton, it was massively important Chloe did more than just pass her history test. In order to finally secure her place, she needed an excellent GPA; Stanford Law school was the plan after college and their low acceptance rate meant Chloe had to do everything in her power to keep up her grades. A spontaneous trip to Tucson with her girlfriend would never be a worthy excuse for Princeton or Stanford, no matter how amazing it was._

 _They had spent the night dancing in the headlights of Beca's car, whilst the aspiring music producer's latest mix tape leaked out of the stereo. Beca had picked up some pizza whilst Chloe managed to talk the guy at a store into turning a blind eye when she bought them some beer._

 _They had driven down a dusty track until they were out of sight of the road and just enjoyed each other's company, without having to worry about anything they might have to at home. Chloe had made Beca gaze up at the stars whilst led on the sand; Beca failed to hold in her sarcastic comments about the cliché of it all. They talked freely about anything and everything, before deciding on spending the night sleeping on the backseat._

 _Beca had stayed up an extra hour, despite being tired by the long drive and held her phone in place on Chloe's history text book with the flashlight on. Although it was a warm evening, Chloe still tangled herself around Beca (OK, maybe the darkened dessert backdrop was a little scary) before drifting off the sleep._

 _Chloe climbed over the console and settled in the passenger seat as Beca climbed back into the car. She pushed the sunglasses off her head and onto her nose with a smile before reaching for Beca's hand and giving it a small squeeze. The brunette returned it, then started up the engine and set the car in motion._

 _Spending the night together, away from San Diego was a break Chloe didn't even know she needed. It seemed Beca always knew just what to do to make Chloe feel better and refreshed even if she didn't know it herself. They had always been honest about their feelings for each other, it had taken Beca a while to grow more vocal about them but it seemed with a small yet loving nudge from Chloe, she was able to put her feelings into words. After last night, Chloe was more than certain she was in love with Beca and she couldn't wait to tell her._

 **XXX**

 _Beca pulled at her fingers as she sat by the pool, her legs dangling in the water. Pool parties weren't really her scene and even though Chloe had told her they were both invited, Beca had her doubts._

 _It had always been clear to Beca that she and Chloe were a little different and not just because people were quick to comment on it. In some aspects such as school and social circles, they were complete opposites but on a deeper and emotional level, they had an undeniable connection. As time went on and their relationship grew stronger and more serious, Chloe's friends and family's tolerance for Beca weakened._

 _Dodging Chloe's parents was manageable but her friends were a little more difficult to avoid. It wasn't like Beca wanted Chloe to stop seeing her friends, she'd just prefer if they stayed polite like they had been before. Their snide comments were no longer whispered and the eye rolls that were once restricted to her mentions of LA and music had now become their natural greeting whenever Beca said hi._

 _Chloe and her friends were academic, who had the dreams and potential to become successful lawyers, doctors and scientists. Beca respected their hard work and dedication to their studies, even if she didn't share the same aspirations. She lacked in effort and focus when it came to school, only applying herself to her music classes. Being a music producer in LA required a different set of skills - she needed determination, a thick skin, talent, a musical edge – those things couldn't be maintained in third period Biology._

 _When she first told her girlfriend about her dream after high school, Chloe's face lit up. She excitedly tapped Beca's arm, as she spoke about how much making music meant to her. The second Chloe heard her first mix through battered headphones, the redhead beamed before gushing about how amazing it was. From then on, Beca had Chloe's believe and support; after that, she felt as though she didn't need anyone else's._

 _Beca's dream occupation sat differently with both her parents. Her Mom was supportive and excited by Beca's passion for producing music, but she wished her daughter would at least devise a back-up plan for "just in case." In all honesty, she knew it wasn't spoke with doubt and was more than sensible logic but Beca wanted to devote herself to her dream completely; having something to fall back on gave her an option to fail and that most definitely could not happen._

 _Her Father completely dismissed the idea of LA and "forbid" her efforts to move to LA the moment she proposed it. Being a teacher at her school gave him an advantage and eventually led to the agreement of finishing high school first. Beca cooperated after being called to the principal's office but refused continuing to visit her Dad and his new wife at the weekends. He regularly forwarded college taster day emails into her inbox and broached the subject of college applications whenever they passed each other on the school corridors._

 _Although Chloe's friends weren't as outward with solutions for her future occupation as her Father, they still made no effort in order to hide their own disapproval of it. Summer had arrived and the end of school was looming. College was the topic of almost every conversation for Chloe and her friends and Beca couldn't help but sit silently as she attempted to smile her way through it._

 _Chloe had received her acceptance letter to Princeton early Spring but they still hadn't had a serious conversation as to what that meant for their relationship. "We'll figure it out" had been the final words on the matter and back in March that was enough._

" _Are you having fun?" Chloe asked letting her hands rest on Beca's knees. The droplets of water were cool on her skin but Beca nodded with a small smile._

 _The sun was reflecting on the ripples of water as Chloe lifted herself above the surface slightly, "Are you coming in?"_

 _Apart from a few people dotted around the patio area, Beca was the only one not in the pool. She couldn't help but feel as though it was a cruel metaphor; Chloe and her friends in the centre of the party, whilst she remained on the side lines. Before she could reply, Jesse was tapping her on the shoulder, "Fancy giving me a hand with the beers, Becs?"_

 _Thankful for the offer, Beca started getting to her feet with a nod and gave Chloe's hands a quick squeeze, "Yeah, sure" she mumbled out, giving her girlfriend a shrug, "Later?"_

 _Chloe smiled in an attempt to hide her disappointment, "OK."_

 _Jesse was a nice guy she had met in her music class in junior year. They weren't as close as he would like them to be but Beca still regarded him as a friend. Amidst the talks of GPAs and college applications, Jesse was a nice escape. They shared friendly banter and he had surprisingly offered her words of encouragement when discussing her move to LA._

" _Have you guys talked yet?" Jesse asked the moment they were inside and away from the pool._

 _Beca pulled herself onto the kitchen counter and watched her friend pull the bottles of beer from the fridge door one by one, "Nope" she sighed, before cracking one open and taking a sip._

 _He paused and rolled his eyes, "Beca, you know college isn't going away, right? In fact, it's kind of happening, right now" he stressed._

" _Yeah, I know, it's just complicated. Besides right now isn't really the time" she shrugged, imagining the look on Chloe's friend's faces if she brought it up in front of them._

 _Jesse shook his head disapprovingly as he handed her some of the bottles from the counter._

" _C'mon, dude, don't look at me like that. You know disapproval is all I'm used to lately."_

 _Whenever the pressure of being Chloe's girlfriend got too much, Jesse was always there to lend an ear. They had spent many lunch breaks mocking the eyes rolls and the constantly insincere "Oh, hi, Beca"'s she had grown used to over the past ten months. In fact, having Jesse to vent to was the next best thing to talking to Chloe about it._

 _There had been conversations in the past, sometimes they ended well and other times they didn't. Beca knew Chloe had a hard time maintaining good relationships with both her and her friends, but Chloe would always swear she didn't care what they thought. Beca respected Chloe more for not trying to convince her otherwise but constant criticism on a daily basis could be difficult to bare at times._

 _Chloe was worth it though,_ _ **always**_ _worth it._

" _She loves you and cares about you; she told you that three months, Beca! You need to talk about it eventually."_

" _Talk about what?"_

 _The third voice in the conversation caused Beca to swing around to the door frame, almost dropping one of the bottles tucked under her arm in the process. Chloe was wearing a towel and the sound of water dripping on the tiles filled the newfound silence._

 _Jesse gave her an apologetic look before relieving Beca of her beer duty and instead leaving the kitchen with as many as he could carry._

" _Talk about what, Beca?"_

 _The rest of the afternoon was a bit of a blur after that. What began as a calm discussion quickly turned heated as the pair argued in Jesse's hall way._

 _It wasn't at all how Beca had wanted to start the conversation, never mind end it, but eventually Beca had stormed out of the front door with a rushed "I can't do this right now."_

" _Well maybe we shouldn't do it at all anymore" Chloe had retorted just before Beca slammed the door and drove off in a hurry._

 _Chloe's last words were burning a hole in her chest as she began driving down the road. Beca didn't ever want to stop "doing it anymore" but what if now, Chloe did?_

 **XXX**


	60. Chapter 60

**DISCLAIMER: ****I do not own Pitch Perfect. All words and mistakes are those of my own.**

 **A/N 1: ****I finally finished this prompt! *** **fist pump** *****

 **I apologise for the lateness of this update and I apologise even more for the update a couple of months ago that wasn't an update – my bad! I needed to change literally one word in the previous chapter and I didn't really think of the whole update email thingy people get. Although, if it makes you feel any better that's how long I've been working on this final instalment – it's been a bitch.**

 **All that being said, this was a killer prompt and I really wanted to get it right, so hopefully it's been worth the wait; let me know in the reviews. (no pressure or anything…)**

 **A/N 2** **: A HUGE, HUGE, no, like, MASSIVE thank you to Bamlover for enduring my caffeine induced rants about this story for the last two months or so; the struggle has been real D:**

 **I'm not over exaggerating when I say I probably would have given up a while ago if it wasn't for her help, so cheers for that!**

 **Thanks for prompting :)**

 **Can't Stop – Part 3**

Chloe would be lying if she said she wasn't relieved Beca had followed her out of the party.

"Come back inside?"

She was already making her way closer to Beca and inside before she even gave an answer. The soft smile and nod was voluntary but the arm that found itself looping with Beca's was anything but.

The past four years had seemed to get away from Chloe but the moment she locked eyes with the familiar navy ones, Chloe was right back in the past; stood on her parent's driveway as she watched her first love drive down the street and further into the distance.

" _Well maybe we shouldn't do it at all anymore."_

There was a lump in Chloe's throat as she recalled the moment she regretfully allowed her temper get the better of her. She didn't mean it but Beca's harsh slam of the door seemed to seal the finality of the words she might never be able to take back. Chloe had quickly wiped away her tears before returning back to the pool party and those blissfully unaware of her heartbreak. She brushed off her friend's concern with the shake of her head and forced smile before gathering up her clothes and starting the long walk home, alone.

Chloe wasn't paying any attention to the silence that had settled over the two of them; instead playing their past on a loop in her mind. Beca had tensed at the sudden contact outside and eventually shuffled out of it in favour of holding the door open. They were stood by the kitchen counter – almost exactly where Beca had been perched before – as the DJ handed Chloe a newly opened bottle of beer.

"So…"

Beca's dragged out sigh of the word pulled Chloe from her thoughts. She watched the brunette's eyes dance as though searching for something to fill the silence.

"How've you been?"

 **XXX**

Beca hadn't really been sure what she was going to say when she followed Chloe outside but the familiar smile she was greeted with made her feel less anxious – even if the arm that automatically hooked itself around her own caught her off guard.

The pair stood by the island in the middle of the kitchen, Beca quickly busying herself with getting them drinks, whilst desperately supressing the need to ask Chloe what she was doing here; frequent swigs from her bottle helped a lot. Eventually they got passed pleasant small talk and the question was just about to spill from her lips until Chloe was leaning closer with a coy smile, "Is that guy going to be on the radio soon?"

Beca stood up straight, prising her eyes away from the redhead's mouth as she looked to where Chloe was pointing. XY was on the patio wearing the same grin he sported when thanking Beca for "this amazing opportunity."

"Maybe, it kind of depends on his material…" Beca shrugged nonchalantly, keeping the cards close to her chest. The label had stressed she keep that sort of information under wraps for now.

"…Yeah, he'll be on the radio" she added with a small smile as she softly nudged the older woman's elbow - after all, it was just Chloe. The redhead studied the label on her beer bottle for a moment, "I'm proud of you, Becs."

Beca had never needed approval for her career choice; her Mother had always been supportive during the early years in LA and even mailed her small checks to help keep her a float when times grew difficult. When it came to making music, Beca's Mom respected the passion she had for her craft, but never truly understood it – with Chloe that was different.

Despite her commitment to become a lawyer, the redhead lived and breathed music. When they were dating, Beca couldn't recall a time Chloe wasn't humming or tapping along to a song only she could hear. In fact, the first time Beca realised she was in love was when she heard Chloe sing in the shower; like, _really heard her._ The brunette had slid down the bathroom door, straining to hear every note on the other side of it as she focused on nothing other than Chloe's voice echoing off the tiles and shattering the final barricade around her heart.

Beca could tell by the look in Chloe's eyes and the sincerity in her voice that she really meant it and it caused the corners of her mouth to turn upwards. Somehow it felt like all the late nights and tiresome hard work over the years finally felt worth it.

"So, how's law?" Beca asked, immediately swallowing down her feelings with a long pull from her beer.

"Hard." The redhead blew the air from her cheeks before letting out a small chuckle.

The familiar sound almost made Beca shudder, "C'mon, nothing is too hard for you, Chlo. I know it's been four years but I'll bet you're still a genius" she assured.

There was a flicker of something on the redhead's face Beca couldn't quite place but it was gone as quickly as it appeared and she cleared her throat, "Yeah, well Stanford is full of geniuses, Becs."

"As in Stanford Law school?" Beca exclaimed, as she slammed her bottle down on the counter with a giant grin.

Chloe pressed her lips together as she nodded with a shy smile.

"Chloe, that's amazing! I mean, I never doubted you once but- congratulations!"

Beca's high pitched yelling was attracting attention but she didn't care. If anything, it made her want to inform each and every one of them that her girlfriend had gotten into her dream law school.

Wait, _ex_ -girlfriend.

There was a new silence and Beca's smile faltered for a moment too long. Chloe's hand found its way onto Beca's forearm and she felt the familiar gentle squeeze - it was the same reassuring touch Beca had quickly grown accustom to and missed so greatly the second she drove onto the interstate four years ago. She remembered wiping her tears into her shoulder and refocusing her eyes on the road, regardless of the pools that blurred her vision.

"Are you okay?"

Beca nodded once and Chloe was removing her hand in favour of reaching for her drink but without much thought, the music producer stopped it in its tracks. Neither of them spoke, both eyes trained on Beca's fingers as they idly traced a palm before slowly sliding between Chloe's.

Feeling Chloe's fingers threaded with hers seemed to awaken a strong wave of nostalgia that rippled through Beca's core. She glanced at the redhead for a second, wondering if she could feel it too but saw her eyes were still focused on their newly adjoined hands as she chewed on her bottom lip.

She should say something.

An "I've missed you" or "I'm sorry I never called."

But her mouth was dry and Beca wasn't really sure what words would follow after those.

Maybe she should just let go, of Chloe's hand and the relationship she so desperately missed.

…But her hand felt soft and warm and fit perfectly into hers, just like it used to all those years ago.

She reached for her half empty beer bottle on the counter instead, letting her hand completely relax in Chloe's, feeling no desire to let it go.

 **XXX**

The conversation had basically come to a stand-still the moment Beca had reached for her hand; it was less of an awkward silence and more of thoughtful pause. Chloe hadn't really been expecting Beca to take her hand.

In fact, when she did, Chloe was more than certain Beca would immediately let go and avoid talking about the blip in her behaviour. The similar blip Chloe had experienced earlier, when she linked their arms together outside.

Instead, Beca had squeezed her hand slightly before reaching for her beer bottle, almost confidently actually. The whole action had awoken the butterflies in Chloe's stomach and she was now having a hard time controlling the corners of her mouth from lifting into a smile.

Back in high school, Beca had a tendency of surprising Chloe with bold and confident moves just like this one and it seemed even now, years later, Beca was still continuing to surprise her. Chloe allowed herself a few more moments of silence, just enjoying the feeling of Beca's hand in hers and basking in the familiar contact.

The familiar contact she spent a whole year craving – back then, Chloe was hoping for a text message as contact though.

It never came.

Eventually, Chloe lost faith and began to think she was a fool to expect it.

They decided against calling or texting each other for a while. Their joint decision was made just as Beca pressed a delicate kiss to Chloe's cheek and wiped away her tears with the pad of a thumb.

"Maybe we should let each other adjust first?"

Chloe nodded in agreement, before letting her forehead rest against Beca's.

The sound of glass hitting marble almost made the redhead jump; memories of the past quickly fading as she remembered where (or perhaps more when?) she was. She blinked away the tears that were faintly forming at her recollection and pulled her attention to Beca. The brunette looked back guiltily, her bottom lip slanting down to the left slightly, "sorry" she mumbled gesturing to the beer bottle she had accidentally slammed on the counter.

Chloe smiled, searching for something light or humorous to say in response.

"Sometimes I need two hands when drinking from glass bottles…" Beca shrugged with a smirk.

"Like a toddler?" Chloe quipped back, thankful Beca had found the response she lacked.

Beca laughed at the retort, instantly causing Chloe to feel an ease she didn't know she needed. The sound of Beca's genuine and unfiltered laughter had her giggling along with it.

Once their laughter naturally faded, Chloe cleared her throat, "So, we're doing this…" she held up their hands for a second, "…now?" she asked. Her tone was upbeat and playful but inside she was praying for a serious reply.

The brunette paused for a moment, subconsciously rubbing the back of her neck with her other hand. A clear tell-tale sign Beca Mitchell was choosing her next words carefully. There was a shy smile and small shrug followed by yet another surprising wave of confidence, "Shall we get some air?"

 **XXX**

When Beca suggested air, she had exactly that in mind but it seemed Chloe had other ideas. The moment they had walked down the patio stairs and to the lower level of the backyard, Beca was suddenly pushed up against a wall, feeling very little of the summer 'air' and instead a whole lot of the redhead's hot breath on her lips. The hand that had been perfectly slotted into Chloe's for the last twenty minutes was being jammed against the concrete, whilst the other quickly pulled hips against hers.

Chloe's lips frantically rolled over hers until Beca was tasting the beer on her tongue, and she instantly forgot what they needed to talk about.

Hands roamed desperately, as both of them tried to feel as much of the other as they could. Beca's fingers were tangling themselves in Chloe's hair as the taller woman bunched her fist in the material of Beca's shirt.

The need to pull away and suggest they 'talk' was completely replaced by the desire to get lost in every inch of Chloe. Her skin felt just as soft as it used to under Beca's touch; her heart raced and her mind was void of any thought other than the woman in front of her; just like they had always done before.

It had Beca's mind reeling of her last couple of days in San Diego. After their first serious argument as a couple at the pool party, Beca had to deal with an uproar of different emotions as she circled the block in her car, reluctantly pressing her foot on the gas whenever she passed Jesse's house.

After circling for far too long, Beca decided on driving home and calling Chloe the minute she got there but it wasn't long until she saw her girlfriend walking bare foot down the sidewalk. Chloe's hair was still wet from the pool, her shoes tucked under her arm as she tapped at her phone.

Beca was already apologising before she even had the window wined all the way down. The pair spent the whole night talking things out in a much calmer and controlled manner, but eventually they both came to the same solution neither of them had wanted to admit. Three days later they shared their last kiss during their final goodbye. It was as hungry and passionate as the one occurring now and it had Beca pulling away from Chloe's lips in a hurry, abruptly aware of the reason they were out here.

"Chlo, we should talk."

Her words came out harsh and rushed, but judging by the look in Chloe's eyes, she agreed.

 **XXX**

Perhaps it was Beca's confidence or maybe it was the grip she had on her hand, but Chloe was feeling an overwhelming desire to push Beca up against a wall and have her way with her.

 _For old time's sake_ , she told herself the moment she was closing the distance and fusing their mouths together. It seemed to open the flood gates to a fire like desire she had been trying to ignore since Beca took her hand in the kitchen.

Beca's mouth still tasted the same as Chloe remembered it and the shorter woman's hands seemed to fall to the exact same places as they used to whenever they had a heated make out session back in high school.

Just as she was allowing herself to completely give in to the woman in front of her, Beca was pulling away hastily.

"Chlo, we should talk."

Although she knew Beca was right, she couldn't quite silent her audible "humph" of disappointment. Despite the fact Beca was the one to break away first, the hand that was previously tangled in her hair was now cupping Chloe's cheek as she laced their fingers together for a second time that evening.

"I never called or text like I said I would." She looked up momentarily before letting out a long sigh before continuing. "I wanted to. _I wanted to, so much_ but I just didn't know what to say."

Chloe shook her head, giving the hand in hers a small squeeze, "I know" she breathed out flatly.

The truth of the matter was, Chloe _did know_. She wanted to hear from Beca more than ever that first summer apart, but after all communication was and still is a two-way street.

"I could have called too, Becs, but I just felt like if I did then I'd finally be admitting it was the end. It sounds silly but I told everyone at college I had a girlfriend for the rest of the year."

Chloe rolled her eyes, cringing at old memories of her heartbreak. There had been a couple of "potential suiters" – as her then new college friend Aubrey liked to say – but Chloe turned every one of them down, still holding out hope for the name Beca Mitchell to light up the screen of her phone.

"That's not silly" Beca assured with a smile, "If it makes you feel any better, I've told every person I've slept with in LA about you. Like, immediately after."

Beca laughed before clutching her cheeks in horror, "…And I can't believe I just said that out loud…" she added chagrined, avoiding eye contact.

Chloe smiled, finding Beca's embarrassment both cute and amusing. She gently pulled the hands away from Beca's face, seeing the tinge of rogue forming on her cheeks. With a mischievous rise of her eyebrow, Chloe was pursing her lips together, "So like, when you're still naked or…?" she asked before her resolve crumbled and she burst into fits of giggles.

Beca groaned loudly until she too was smiling at Chloe's care free laughter; suddenly she didn't feel embarrassed anymore.

"I miss you mocking me."

She smiled, "I miss mocking you" Chloe replied honestly.

There was a deep sincerity glistening in Beca's eyes before she leaned forward and pressed a delicate kiss to Chloe's lips. Without giving the redhead a chance to deepen it, Beca was pulling back and retrieving something from her back pocket.

"How about you put your number in there?" she tapped at the screen for a second before handing her phone to Chloe, "…and you can mock me whenever you feel like it?" she grinned.

Chloe dragged her thumb through Beca's contacts until she was three letters into the alphabet and examining the digits under her name, "I don't need to" she announced, reading the confusion on the brunette's face. She pressed the device back into Beca's palm, "You've still got my number."

"Well, shit" Beca chucked with the shake of her head.

Despite the last four years, Chloe had been adamant about keeping the same number; she had spent a lot of time convincing herself it was to keep in contact with old friends, but deep down she knew it was always for one special person in particular.

"Do you, maybe, want to mock me over coffee tomorrow? I mean if you're not going back to Stanford right away?"

Beca's voice was lost of its previous confidence and her eyes nervously shuffled between Chloe's.

"Yeah, coffee tomorrow sounds great" the redhead beamed, letting her arms rest on Beca's shoulders.

Beca wet her lips and paused, "Are you here to visit anyone?"

The question was almost mumbled and judging by Beca's body language, Chloe knew what the music producer was really asking.

She had driven down to Los Angeles with a classmate in order to get some extra background knowledge on an old court case. From the second they passed the LA city limit sign post, Chloe only had Beca on her mind.

"Nope…" Chloe shook her head with a small smile, "I'm all yours."

Because really, Chloe had always belonged to Beca Mitchell.

 **XXX**


End file.
